Whilst the raging kerfuffle over General Chris Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff’s (CDS) visa refusal, and that of his entourage, by the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria, shows little signs of receding, this essay’s strategic thrust centres on constructive resolution of the current debacle; safeguarding effective, and long-established bilateral relations between both Commonwealth countries.
General Musa asserted on February 13, 2025 that he, alongside his entourage were denied visas by the Canadian High Commission further to their application to visit the latter country for the 2025 Invictus Games at Vancouver. Ordinarily, visa issuance and denial by a foreign mission in Nigeria, or anywhere, should not be headline news. Afterall, it is routine consular business of foreign missions globally.
Of course, it is the exclusive right of all sovereign countries to determine who to admit, or refuse entry, unto their territory whether for stated or unstated reasons. This proposition is anchored on Article 3 (2) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. It establishes that: “nothing in the present Convention shall be construed as preventing the performance of consular functions by a diplomatic mission.” Foreign policy and national interests are equally important considerations here.
As at 2023, Nigeria was Canada’s most significant bilateral merchandise trading partner in Africa. Canadian imports – notably mineral fuels, oils and cocoa- from Nigeria totalled $3.6 billion, whilst it exported -cereals, fertilizers and vehicles- aggregating $579.7 million to Nigeria in the same year. There were 53,100 Nigerians with a valid study permit in Canada in 2023 thereby making Nigeria Canada’s fourth largest source of international students.
Through 2022/2023, Canada’s development assistance to Nigeria reached $277 million. Canada collaborates with Nigeria to reduce extreme poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous society.
Notwithstanding Nigeria’s and Canada’s robust bilateral relations, the Canadian High Commission’s refusal to grant visas to General Musa and his entourage of senior military officer has prompted stinging critiques from government; not least given the General’s stature as Nigeria’s highest ranking military officer.
That decision has been described in various quarters as “condemnable”, “disrespectful” “unjustifiable”, and a “wake-up call” to all Nigerians. Uncharacteristically, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, publicly urged Canada to “go to hell” over the visa refusal. Evidently, Canada’s extant visa refusal has touched raw nerves in Nigeria’s military and political echelons and soured diplomatic relations between both countries. On its part, the Canadian High Commission, has refused to give additional details for “privacy reasons”!
So, where do Canadian and Nigerian relations go henceforth? What is the strategic import of the Chief of Defence Staff’s visa refusal? Was a note verbale issued by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to support the visa application? Could the visa refusal amount to Canada’s geostrategic retaliatory move against General Musa, and by extension Nigeria; for the pomp and pageantry of the “state visit” accorded the estranged Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, on their trip to Nigeria in 2024? And therefore, a snub to Prince William, the heir apparent to the British monarchy?
The extant diplomatic spat between both countries, is certainly unwelcome given the cordial bilateral relations between both Commonwealth nations, sustained over several decades. That said, the logic of Nigeria’s exclusive sovereignty, which encompasses the freedom to determine persons to allow or refuse unto Nigerian territory at any time, for any reason, whether stated or not, applies with equal force to Canada’s exclusive sovereignty in this regard.
Thus, effective January 31, 2025, Canada toughened its entry rules pursuant to the Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Cancellation of Immigration Documents): SOR/2025-11 Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 4, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) 2002.
The new regulations additionally empower immigration and border services officers, explicit authority to cancel electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) and temporary resident visas (TRVs) on a case-by-case basis. They are aimed at safeguarding the integrity of Canada’s immigration regime, bolstering border and internal security.
An important policy objective of these regulations is to bring Canada in accord with its pre-eminent allies notably, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States; who already have similar models in existence, and who share information multilaterally.
The pre-eminence of Canada’s relationship with the preceding quartet of countries invokes the implication of its cordial, albeit “altered calibration” with Nigeria.
The question of whether Nigeria retaliates or not against the slight against the CDS, is primarily one for senior policy makers. However, rational analysis establishes the case for a diplomatic resolution on three key grounds. First, it safeguards the integrity of Nigerian/Canadian diplomatic relations developed over several decades. Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, should summon the Canadian High Commissioner for private discussions, if he has not already done so.
Second, bilateral, trilateral and multilateral relations between friendly nations are strained periodically. It defies strategic nuance to escalate matters unnecessarily. Afterall, in recent weeks, relations between Canada and the United States have been increasingly strained over retaliatory tariffs, which are now subject to a moratorium until March 4, 2025 pending further negotiations. In other words, there is no basis for throwing out the baby and bathwater. Realpolitik should override emotive reactions!
Third, in the economic power dynamics between Nigeria and Canada, the latter is stronger. Alongside France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Canada is a G7 seven country comprising the world’s largest economies. As at 2024, the Canadian economy was $2.117 trillion juxtaposed against Nigeria’s at $253 billion in the same period.
Nigeria can certainly make its point by voicing its disapproval of the disrespectful treatment meted against the CDS, whilst seeking a mutually beneficial outcome for both nations; without either side losing face. Post-hoc, the MFA should issue a statement which squarely addresses the diplomatic faux pas, without going to the minutiae of the issuance or non-issuance of a note verbale.
On whether the CDS’s visa refusal is somehow linked to geostrategic considerations given the “state visit” accorded Prince Harry and Meghan Markel in Nigeria in May 2024, a school of thought pivots to the unique circumstances of that occasion and whether, Nigeria is in fact “paying the price” for a perceived, albeit unintended, breach of diplomatic etiquette against the British monarch.
That hypothesis is based on the fact that King Charles III is the head of state of Canada and his first son, Prince William is heir apparent to the British monarchy and its dominions, like Canada. King Charles and Prince William had a public falling out with the former’s second son, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, compounded by the latter’s publication of his memoirs: “SPARE” Prince Harry is a former British Army officer and, in 2014, founded the Invictus Games – an international multi-sporting event for serving and veteran injured and sick military service men and women.
The Games’ overarching aims are to enhance the psychological and physical recovery of the injured and wounded personnel. And the Games have been a roaring success by all reasonable accounts.
Prince Harry visited Nigeria in May 2024 concerning the Invictus Games – which of course is hugely important to the country given the need to raise morale amongst injured military personnel, as well as boosting the psychological and physical well-being of sick Nigerian soldiers – who have waged a relentless battle against Boko Haram and other ethno-religious terrorist groups for over fourteen years.
Nigeria participated at the Invictus Games for the first time in 2023. According to Nigeria’s Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, Harry’s visit was aimed at consolidating “Nigeria’s stronghold at the Games and the possibility of hosting the event in later years.” One tangible result of Prince Harry’s visit to Nigeria and certainly a mutually beneficial outcome to Nigeria and Invictus games is that the country is constructing the Invictus Foundation Centre. This would be the first in Africa, aimed at providing care and mental healing for wounded Nigerian personnel.
During the visit, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were symbolically welcomed to the State House Marina, by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, hosted to a reception by Nigeria’s military hierarchy, top government functionaries and business icons as well as attending a polo match amongst other activities.
Plus, they visited local schools, interacted with various charitable organisations and with locals. To all intents and purposes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were accorded a de facto state visit. However, that visit was not well received in Royal circles according to the Tatler Magazine. Quoting Royal commentator, Tom Quinn, Prince William, was “absolutely furious”, by the couple’s “quasi-royal” tour to Nigeria and was “determined to find a way to stop it happening in future”; whilst King Charles III (Canada’s head of state) was “angrier than anyone had ever seen him.”
Quinn went further; “For Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, “we don’t need your permission to be working royals – we will do it on our terms and wherever we like.”
The issue then becomes one of whether Nigeria’s CDS’s visa denial is circumstantially linked to the Prince Harry’s highly successful visit to Nigeria, the important role played by Nigeria’s military echelon, for purely objective reasons – boosting the morale of injured Nigerian military personnel – and the dim view taken of that “quasi-royal” tour by senior UK royals? That’s an unknown unknown; and therefore, neither compelling, nor cogent, because it lacks a cohesive nexus.
Finally, the debacle reinforces the argument for a diplomatic solution with clear, joined-up, and nuanced thinking, given historically strong and positive bilateral links between both nations; without compromising sovereign autonomy.
Robust strategic alliances and international cooperation are in Nigeria’s geopolitical interests and Canada, has proven over the several years; to be a friendly nation!
Ojumu is the Principal Partner at Balliol Myers LP, a firm of legal practitioners and strategy consultants in Lagos, Nigeria and the author of The Dynamic Intersections of Economics, Foreign Relations, Jurisprudence and National Development.
