Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has stated that the country will no longer accept deportees from the United States (US), signaling a decisive shift in bilateral negotiations between the two nations.
Speaking during a fireside chat at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi, Tuggar declared the issue closed, revealing that Nigeria would not be pressured into receiving nationals deported under duress.
"That ship has sailed. We made our point, and I believe it’s no longer on the discussion table. We don’t see the need to take nationals from other countries under duress," he said.
The minister explained that Nigeria’s priority lies in addressing domestic challenges, particularly youth unemployment and poverty, by investing in human capital development.
With the country’s population projected to double to 400 million within the next 25 years, Tuggar stressed the importance of focusing on internal growth.
"Our goal is to train our workforce and ensure we have the right dependency ratio to sustain our future," he added.
While reaffirming that diplomatic ties with Washington remain strong, Tuggar framed the deportation issue as a matter of mutual understanding rather than confrontation.
Beyond migration, the minister also took aim at how wealthy nations engage with Africa economically.
He criticized what he described as a transactional, resource-extractive approach, likening it to the sandbox-style video game Minecraft.
"Sometimes it’s like the game Minecraft: There’s oil, there’s gas, there’s critical minerals, rare earths. We put a bit of this, we invest in this. No, that’s not the way it goes.
"The engagement should be based on mutual respect, based on shared interests and based on the fact that Africa needs to develop," he said.
Tuggar stressed that Nigeria, despite its energy exports and infrastructure challenges, has been relatively insulated from the impact of US trade tariffs.
According to the Minister, Nigeria is actively diversifying its economic partnerships beyond traditional Western allies.
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