Nigerian aviation industry reels from US travel ban

The United States has now implemented travel restrictions on 26 African countries, introducing a mix of full and partial bans that have significantly impacted international travel. 

Among the countries affected is Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, which faces both travel limitations and tighter visa rules. 

These new measures come at a time when Africa’s aviation sector was beginning to recover, following years of pandemic-related disruptions. 

According to industry observers, travel between Nigeria and the US had already slowed down due to the challenges of securing a visa.

Temitope Adetunji, a travel consultant, expressed frustration with the current system.

"People don't want to waste their money anymore, because they believe once you apply for a US visa, you get the visa. Getting the visa is by chance or by luck. It's not even by luck, you know, because I personally have applied for people that have the funds, that are capable, but upon getting to the embassy for their interview, for no reason, no reason, they won't even tell you the reason, just denied."

Currently, two US carriers operate direct scheduled flights between the US and Nigeria—United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Together, they operate 17 weekly flights and shared 207,340 passengers in 2024.

However, with the travel restrictions and the growing concerns over visa approvals, those numbers are expected to drop significantly in the coming months, potentially leading to route cancellations or reductions in service.

Olumide Ohunayo, the secretary for the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative, has also expressed concern about the impact these changes will have on the aviation industry and the broader relationship between Nigeria and the United States.

"We need to have some level of discussion. We need to appoint an ambassador so that there'll be a point of contact. And we need to look at every other option, economic, cultural, diplomatic, everything that can make us engage with the US to see how they can relax the restriction."

According to the White House, some of these restrictions are part of broader efforts to strengthen US national security and immigration policies.

Report was edited by CGTN Africa's Dinah Matengo.