The United States of America, which used to be one of the prime destinations for Nigerians during summer, has seen a significant decline in visits due to the skyrocketing air fares and Donald Trump administration’s stringent visa policies.

Many Nigerians, who would have otherwise travelled to the US for leisure, business, or education are now exploring alternative destinations.

Also, airfares to the United States have in the last few months seen an over 100 percent increase, causing many to shelve their travel plans.

In addition, the increased scrutiny and lengthy processing times for visa applications have frustrated and disappointed many Nigerians, preventing them from securing visas.

As a result, many Nigerians are now turning to other countries for travel and education. Countries like the UK, Canada, and Australia are becoming increasingly popular among Nigerians, offering a more welcoming and accessible environment for international travellers.

Susan Akporaiye, CEO, Topaz Travels and Tours, told BusinessDay that there is low traffic owing to high fares.

“The impact of the three-month visa policy has not really started yet because the majority of people with five-year visas can still use them. The slow nature of traffic into the U.S is because of the cost of fares, which is ridiculously high, and a lot of people are weighing their options.

Akporaiye, who was also the former president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), said the few people who have visas and can manage to afford the fares are skeptical, as they are not sure how they will be treated on arrival.

“We are hearing all sorts of things. People just want to be careful. I hear attention is being drawn to everyone. You don’t want to find yourself in an embarrassing situation as a foreigner. Some are just watching and waiting to see what’s going on. The U.S airports are no longer as busy as they used to be,” she said.

Ticket costs

A return economy class ticket from Lagos to Houston, which used to cost an average of N1.5 million last year, now goes for an average of N2.7 million on Turkish Airlines, N3.9 million on Virgin Atlantic, N2.8 million on Qatar Airways, Emirates N3 million, United Airlines N3.1 million, and Lufthansa N3.2 million.

Business class ticket on the same destination, which used to cost an average of N7 million, is now priced at N9 million on Lufthansa, N11.7 million on Virgin, N10.5 million on Emirates, N10.2 million on Turkish Airlines, N10.6 million on Qatar Airways, N11.3 million on Air France and KLM, and N11.5 million on Delta Airlines.

A return economy class ticket from Lagos to other frequently visited destinations in United States such as New York, and Washington DC, which cost an average of N1.7million before summer, now goes for an average of N2.7 million on Egypt Air, N4.5million on Virgin Atlantic, N5.3 million on Qatar Airways, N3.4 million on Lufthansa, N3.7 million on Royal Air Maroc and N3.8 million on United Airlines. Business class tickets on the same destination cost N10.8 million on Emirates, N8 million on United Airlines, N7.8 million on Royal Air Maroc, N8.7 million on Lufthansa, and N9.3 million on United Airlines.

Yinka Folami, president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel, confirmed to BusinessDay that travellers are now opting for alternative destinations due to the high cost of fares to the U.S, which is mostly as a result of the current exchange rates.

“The rates are very high now. So, air travel costs to the US are expected to drop. The cost of a ticket to the U.S. is higher than the cost of a ticket to probably Doha or U.K. relatively because of the distance.

“So, somebody who may originally plan to go to the U.S. will probably spend summer in the U.K. because the cost to travel to the U.S is not within their reach. When you consider the devaluation of the naira and relative cost of the ticket now compared to the incomes of the people, you’ll understand that individuals are taking more rational decisions to suspend their travel plans now,” Folami said.

Visa reforms

There have been some major reforms on visa policy since Donald Trump became president. These have changed the travel narrative from Nigeria to the United States.

Some of Trump’s visa policies affecting Nigerians include: the end of birthright citizenship, which took effect January 22; mass deportation orders from January 2025; suspension of Dropbox service – late June 2025; social media screening requirement – July 2025; visa reciprocity revision – July 8, 2025; end of birth tourism – July 27, 2025; and introduction of visa bond- August 5, 2025.

Seyi Adewale, chief executive officer – Mainstream Cargo Limited and a frequent traveller, told BusinessDay that Trump’s policies have contributed significantly to the lower air traffic to and from the US.

Adewale said Trump empowered immigration and customs enforcement to intimidate, harass, disgrace, detain, and deport perceived illegal immigrants using what appears to be discriminatory tactics against the Hispanics and Africans.

Secondly, the revised visa rules which limit visa issuances to only three months, single entry visa, are having a negative impact on travels.

“These issues coupled with tougher and longer visa renewal dates just complicate things the more. The alleged submission of social media handles and access up to five years are intrusive and discouraging. (BusinessDay)