WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2020) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was optimistic that Nigeria would sufficiently improve security information sharing with the United States in order to be absolved from Washington's visa restrictions.
"On Friday, President Trump announced the suspension of immigrant visas for the Nigerians, because Nigeria has room to grow and share important national security information," Pompeo said alongside the visiting Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama. "I'm optimistic that it is going to happen."
The United States has imposed an immigration visa ban on Nigeria, the most populous African country, in addition to imposing a ban on Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania.
The restrictions do not apply to tourist, business or other non-immigrant travel.
Pompeo praised Nigeria for being a valued US ally in the global fight against terrorism, including against the Islaic State terror group's largest global affiliate - ISIS West Africa (both banned in Russia).
