Strict US, Europe visas push Nigerians to Kenya, Rwanda for summer

Stringent visa conditions introduced by the United States of America (USA) and Europe have forced several Nigerians to review their travel destinations and explore African countries this summer.

Some of the destinations Nigerians are exploring include Kenya, Rwanda, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius and Ghana, amongst others.

These countries offer visa on arrival, e-visas and accept local currencies in their home countries, thereby reducing pressure on scarce foreign exchange currency spending by tourists and holiday makers.

Rwanda is visa-free for Nigerian passport holders for short visits. Under a bilateral agreement, Nigerians can travel to Rwanda without obtaining a visa prior to departure and are granted a free 30-day single-entry visa upon arrival. Known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” Rwanda is celebrated for its wildlife, including gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, and its clean, green cities.

Kenya is completely visa-free for Nigerian passport holders. Nigerian travellers do not need a visa or a pre-travel Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) to enter. Upon arrival in Kenya, travellers are granted entry clearance to stay for up to 60 days.

Nigerian passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Egypt for $30. Travellers may also apply for approval via the Egypt e-visa platform (ESIA). Egypt is a treasure trove of ancient history, home to the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Nile River.

Whereas, the UK government has continued to implement strict immigration overhauls to curb visa misuse and reduce net migration. Major changes include tightened university sponsorship rules, expanded deportation powers, and higher salary thresholds for skilled workers.

Also, the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed new travel restrictions on Nigerians seeking to enter the United States, targeting visa categories that account for the majority of visas issued to Nigerian nationals by US consular authorities.

Under the new measures, Nigerians are barred from entering the US as immigrants or on several non-immigrant visa categories, including B-1 (business), B-2 (tourism), combined B-1/B-2, F (academic studies), M (vocational studies) and J (exchange programmes).

These categories represent the bulk of visas issued annually by the US embassy and consulates in Nigeria, covering business travel, tourism, education and exchange programmes.

Canada experienced a 48 percent decline in granting study permits to Nigerians between January and August 2025, granting only about 2,800 study permits compared with the same period in 2024.

Also, the US experienced a 24 percent year-on-year drop as it issued only around 1,400 F-1 student visas to Nigerians from January to May 2025. The main reasons are the recent travel bans and restrictions.

These figures, which point to a reduction in approvals, reveal a complex picture of Nigerian students’ global study trends.

“Traffic moved since last year when the U.S, Canada and Europe introduced stricter visa rules. Nigerians now travel to Morocco, Egypt, Kenya and Qatar,” Susan Akporaiye, managing director and CEO, Topaz Travels and Tours.

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Akporaiye, who was also the former president of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, told BusinessDay summer looks quiet this period as most travel agents are seeing only corporate travels with very few family holiday travels, unlike what summer used to be before now, where families flock to the U.S and Europe in their numbers.

“Nigerians are sceptical about travelling to the U.S. Nobody knows what will happen. People just travel there for official trips. Those that have family members really don’t have a choice. They have to visit family. Students would normally come home for summer, but nobody is coming home.

“I had a case where a child came for holidays last summer and couldn’t go back because of the visa restrictions. The parents of the child had to change schools using a transfer to an affiliate school in the UK. A few parents travelled to see their children, but there is no coming home for the children,” the CEO of Topaz Travels and Tours stated.

She mentioned other factors for the low summer travel this period as high fares driven by the rate of exchange, and election preparations by politicians who are busy with plans for 2027.

She also hinted that South Africa, which also used to be a travel destination for Nigerians, is no longer an option because of the xenophobic attacks.

Just a few months ago, average return economy tickets from Nigeria to Kenya, Egypt, and Rwanda hovered around N800,000.

However, a summer demand surge has pushed airfares significantly higher.

Currently, a return economy ticket from Lagos to Kenya for August and September averages N1.3 million, a 62.5 percent increase.

Flights to Rwanda have climbed 50 percent to average N1.2 million, while return tickets to Egypt have surged 87.5 percent to reach an average of N1.5 million.

“A lot has changed and is still changing. The country’s economic factor is one of the major reasons why a certain number of individuals and families cannot afford summer trips anymore. Summer trips are mostly being planned as early as March, April, May just to secure cheaper ticket fares, which at this point cannot happen again,” Victor Okposin, MD/CEO Travelluxehub, told BusinessDay.

According to Okposin, years back, visa purchases were cheaper, immigration policies weren’t as tough as it is now, and Dubai was the most sought-after, but not anymore.

Okposin noted that countries without many travel restrictions, such as Qatar, Egypt, Tanzania, Cape Verde, and Seychelles, are reaping the harvest of summer.

He also mentioned that the rise in airfares is also linked to the US-Iran war.

Bankole Bernard, the group managing director (GMD) of Finchglow Holdings, a travel management company, said Nigeria has built a culture of travelling, and that is why they are trying other destinations for summer.

“In Nigeria, when people’s children travel, others will like to take their own children on summer trips too. It has become a trend. People are just choosing where they go with lower budgets. People are going to Ghana, Rwanda, Egypt and Kenya,” Bernard told BusinessDay.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.