By Favour Ulebor, Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of International Affairs and Chair of the ECOWAS Mediation and Safety Council, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has expressed concern over stories that the USA is contemplating visa restrictions on all ECOWAS member states, warning that such a transfer might hinder commerce, pressure diplomatic relations, and stall improvement throughout the West African subregion.
Talking throughout the opening of the 54th Abnormal Session of the Mediation and Safety Council at Ministerial Stage in Abuja on Wednesday, Tuggar mentioned the proposed restrictions might undermine ongoing efforts to deepen financial and safety partnerships between West Africa and the USA.
“It could be most unlucky if it involves go, as a result of we’re a area of alternatives able to do offers,” Tuggar mentioned.
“We wish to do offers with the US, however visa restrictions are non-tariff obstacles to offers.”
He described the potential coverage as not solely a diplomatic setback but in addition an financial miscalculation, particularly given ECOWAS’s wealthy pure assets.
“We possess vital minerals and uncommon earths, resembling Samarium from the Monazite present in my house state of Bauchi,” he famous.
“We on this a part of the world are college students of the artwork of the deal and have been a part of the worldwide buying and selling system even earlier than the trendy state system.”
Ambassador Tuggar urged Washington to rethink its stance, emphasizing that West Africa is ripe with potential and never missing in viable international companions.
“ECOWAS international locations and the US have a uncommon alternative to create a partnership based mostly on mutual wants. We’re a strategic different to extra distant and politically divergent power producers,” he mentioned.
“We are going to do offers for our prosperity; the one query is with whom? Who is able to seize the alternatives in our area by facilitating the motion of presidency officers, technocrats, enterprise executives, and entrepreneurs to shut these offers?”
In accordance with current stories, the US authorities is reviewing visa insurance policies that would have an effect on a number of African nations, together with all ECOWAS member states. President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly contemplating journey restrictions on international locations deemed to have failed to fulfill new benchmarks set by the US State Division.
The listing reportedly contains Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The factors cited in a State Division memo embrace the lack to supply dependable identification or civil paperwork and, in some instances, problems with widespread authorities fraud or lack of cooperation by central authorities.
The publish US visa limits on ECOWAS nations may harm regional progress — Minister appeared first on Vanguard News.
