Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has declared that the country will no longer accept deportees from the United States, insisting that the issue is no longer up for negotiation in bilateral relations between both nations.
Tuggar made the remarks during a fireside chat at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit held in Abu Dhabi, where he emphasized that Nigeria’s priority lies in building and empowering its own population rather than taking in returnees under external pressure.
“That ship has sailed. We’ve made our point, and I believe it’s no longer on the discussion table,” Tuggar said.
“We don’t see the need to take nationals from other countries under duress.”
The minister explained that Nigeria’s focus is to train and equip its citizens to meet future economic and demographic challenges.
“We already have a population of over 200 million people, and we’re projected to reach about 400 million in the next 25 years,” he said.
“Our goal is to train our workforce and ensure we have the right dependency ratio to sustain our future.”
Tuggar clarified that Nigeria continues to enjoy a healthy and respectful relationship with the U.S, adding that the stance on deportees should be viewed as a matter of mutual understanding rather than confrontation.
Beyond migration issues, Tuggar also urged wealthier nations to rethink their approach to trade with Africa, cautioning against treating the continent merely as a source of raw materials.
“Sometimes it’s like the game Minecraft, there’s oil, there’s gas, there are critical minerals and rare earths, and they just pick and invest in bits,” he said.
“That’s not the right approach. Engagement should be based on mutual respect and shared interests, recognizing that Africa needs to develop.”
He warned that neglecting Africa’s development would only perpetuate global challenges such as irregular migration and economic instability.
Tuggar further noted that Nigeria, despite facing power and infrastructure deficits, has been less affected by U.S trade tariffs than other nations and continues to diversify its trade relationships across various global partners.
The minister’s remarks come as several African countries, including Burkina Faso, have rejected similar deportation proposals from the U.S., calling them “indecent.”
