Rise up against oppressors at home – Moghalu defends Trump’s visa ban on Nigeria

Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,Kingsley Moghalu has reacted to the latest visa ban and travel restrictionsannounced by United States President Donald Trump on Nigeria and 18 othercountries. He argued that international relations should be viewedthrough the lens of national interest rather than morality. In a statement shared on X, Moghalu said on Tuesday that hewas “amused” by criticisms that judge foreign policy decisions solely on moralgrounds, stressing that geopolitics is fundamentally about protecting nationalinterests as defined by each country. According to him, President Trump’s decision is consistentwith America’s assessment of its own interests, whether driven by security,economic, military, or even moral considerations such as concerns aboutreligious freedom. “@POTUS @realDonaldTrump is acting in the interests he hasdefined for his country,” Moghalu said, adding that the motivation behind suchinterests “doesn’t matter.”Instead, Moghalu challenged Nigeria and Africa to focusinward, questioning whether the continent has a coherent strategy to protectits own people. He specifically cited insecurity in the Sahel and the spread ofterrorism, asking whether decisive action against these threats truly servesthe interests of ordinary Nigerians. He clarified that his comments were not in defense ofcorrupt elites, whom he described as “economic terrorists” in their own right,but rather in support of the average citizen seeking safety and stability amidworsening insecurity. Moghalu further argued that Africa has long been misled byforeign actors who claim to support the continent while pursuing policies that,in practice, deepen poverty, insecurity, and instability. On immigration, he acknowledged that seeking betteropportunities abroad is natural but insisted that every sovereign nation hasthe right to regulate immigration, particularly illegal migration, into itsterritory. He welcomed recent clarifications issued by the UnitedStates Embassy in Nigeria, describing them as “sensible and appropriate” fromthe standpoint of US national policy. Moghalu also pointed to Nigeria’s porous borders, notingthat criminal elements often exploit weak border controls to destabilize thecountry. He said this reality does not invalidate the right of moresecurity-conscious nations to protect their territories. He argued that Nigeria’s internal governance failures do notentitle its citizens to unrestricted access to other countries, lamenting whathe described as missed opportunities for political change at home. “The fact that Nigeria’s borders are porous and all sorts ofcriminals come in and operate as destabilizing agents or fake voters does notmean more serious countries don’t have a right to protect their homeland frombeing overrun by others. And the fact that we have failed to rise up againstour oppressors at home and change our destiny on the ground (some of us offeredourselves years ago, but the people preferred those who buy their votes buthave no plans for their welfare) does not give us an entitlement to anotherman’s land.” Moghalu’s comments follpws the US visa restrictionsaffecting Nigeria and 18 other countries, expected to take effect from January1, 2026, and have sparked widespread debate across diplomatic, political, andcivil society circles. In a statement on Monday, the US Embassy in Nigeria said thecountry will begin a partial suspension of visa issuance to Nigerians fromJanuary 1, 2026, following a new presidential proclamation aimed atstrengthening border and national security. Nigeria is one of 19 countries affected by the measure.Others listed are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire,Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo,Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The proclamation provides for a partial suspension of visaissuance covering nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M, and Jstudent and exchange visitor visas. It also applies to immigrant visas, thoughwith limited exceptions.

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