Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has criticised a proposed expansion of U.S. visa restrictions that reportedly includes all ECOWAS member states, warning that the move may complicate efforts to foster deeper commercial and diplomatic ties between West Africa and Washington.

Tuggar, who also chairs the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, voiced his concerns at a ministerial-level meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

The Guardian reports that the new U.S. policy, still under review, would require affected countries—including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and 20 others across Africa—to meet enhanced benchmarks around identity documentation and governance standards within a 60-day compliance window.

Tuggar argued that limiting mobility undermines negotiation channels and trade expansion. Speaking at the opening of the ECOWAS council’s 54th ordinary session, he framed visa constraints as non-tariff barriers that could discourage investment and delay economic cooperation between the U.S. and the subregion.

“It would be most unfortunate if it comes to pass, because we are a region of opportunities ready to do deals.
“We would like to do deals with the U.S., but visa restrictions are barriers to those deals,” he said, noting that ECOWAS countries offer access to strategic resources such as rare earths.

He warned that by impeding official travel and limiting engagement from private sector stakeholders, the policy could send signals that Washington is deprioritising partnerships with emerging markets.

Tuggar further referenced recent U.S. interest in critical minerals, suggesting that ECOWAS countries could serve as viable alternatives to other global suppliers, provided mobility is not restricted.

The U.S. State Department has not publicly confirmed the list of countries likely to be affected. However, Reuters cited a draft document naming 28 African nations, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola, and Côte d’Ivoire. The document referenced issues such as weak civil registration systems and deficiencies in issuing reliable identity documents as grounds for the proposed action.

Tuggar, responding to the development, said ECOWAS members have been historically integrated into global trade and warned that limiting visa access could alienate a region already navigating complex post-pandemic economic transitions. No immediate response has been issued by the U.S. embassy in Abuja or the ECOWAS Commission. Reuters’ Julia Payne, Isaac Anyaogu, and Robert Harvey contributed to coverage of the story. Let me know if you’d like to explore how individual countries might respond to the restrictions or what alternatives ECOWAS may consider.