Nigeria has firmly declined a request from the United States to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees as part of Washington’s controversial third-country deportation policy. Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar made the announcement during a televised interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, July 11, stressing that Nigeria would not bear the burden of migrants from unrelated nations. Referring to the request, Tuggar quoted U.S. rapper Flavour Flav’s 1990 hit Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man, saying, “Flavour Flav has problems of his own. I can’t do nuttin’ for ya, man.” The remark underscored Nigeria’s firm stance amid rising international pressure on African nations to support the United States’ increasingly strict immigration enforcement.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that five African leaders attending a U.S.-Africa summit at the White House (July 9–11) received formal letters from the Biden administration—acting under former President Donald Trump’s immigration blueprint—urging them to accept migrants being deported from the U.S. after their home countries refused to take them back. “Nigeria has enough of its own challenges,” Tuggar said. “We cannot, for crying out loud, accept Venezuelan deportees. It’s simply unfair and unrealistic.”
While rejecting deportees, Tuggar reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with the U.S., especially in sectors like critical minerals, natural gas, and renewable energy. “Nigeria is in a very good position to continue a symbiotic relationship with the United States,” he added. The U.S. policy, which has drawn criticism from human rights groups, has already seen deportees relocated to countries like South Sudan, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. South Sudan recently accepted eight migrants—none of whom were nationals—including individuals from Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Mexico, and Cuba, many of whom were convicted of serious crimes such as murder and sexual assault. Talks with other countries, including Rwanda, Benin, and Moldova, are reportedly ongoing.
