Travel News

Nigeria has been ranked third on the list of African countries with the highest number of deportations from the United States between 2020 and 2025.

A total of 437 Nigerian nationals were removed from the US during the period.

This is according to recent data from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, as reported by Vanguard.

Ahead of Nigeria on the list are Mauritania (second) and Senegal (first).

Many are facing deportation because of criminal convictions or final orders issued by immigration judges.

ICE’s enforcement actions are authorized under Title 8 of the United States Code, which allows officers within the Enforcement and Removal Operations, ERO, division to remove non-citizens with final orders of removal.

The data reveals the ongoing challenge faced by the US President Donald Trump’s administration in managing individuals with criminal backgrounds.

Here is the list of African countries ranked by the number of deportations from the US between 2020 and 2025:

Senegal – 689 Mauritania – 481 Nigeria – 437 Egypt – 387 Ghana – 276 Angola – 227 Cameroon – 166 Guinea – 162 Somalia – 154 Kenya – 131

Earlier this month, the Trump administration revoked the visas of hundreds of international students, forcing many to exit the US within days.

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BY Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha 

Following the reopening of Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Ibom Air has announced the resumption of its flight operations to and from Enugu, effective Sunday, May 4, 2025.

This development comes after the issuance of an official NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) on April 28, 2025 (Ref: A0126/25 NOTAMC A0125/25), confirming that Runway 08/26 at Enugu Airport has resumed normal operations.

“Consequently, all scheduled Ibom Air flights to and from Enugu from May 4 onwards have been reinstated.

“Our Customer Service Team is actively reaching out to affected passengers to facilitate rebooking and alternative travel arrangements where necessary,” the airline stated.

Read also: Airlines shun NiMET strike, continue flight operations

The airline says it appreciates the patience and understanding of passengers during the temporary disruption.

BY Wole Shadare

Efforts to sanitise and streamline Nigeria’s air cargo sector are currently underway, with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) spearheading these reforms at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).

Experts estimate that over $5 billion is required to upgrade air cargo facilities across at least 24 airports nationwide. FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, is pushing to modernise processes and invest in infrastructure that will elevate Nigeria’s air cargo sector, positioning the country to capture more of the global air cargo market.

This effort is essential in transforming Nigeria’s export landscape and improving the acceptance of Nigerian goods abroad.

In the first quarter of 2024, Nigeria’s air transport sector facilitated the export of goods valued at N55.32 billion, making up just 0.29 per cent of the total export value of N19.167 trillion.

Maritime transport dominated, with 99.25 per cent of exports, while air transport accounted for a larger share of airports, handling goods worth N707.56 billion, or about 5.60 per cent of the total import value of N12.643 trillion.

These figures clearly highlight the need for Nigeria to bolster its air cargo capacity and address the export-import imbalance.

Kuku is keen on reversing this trend by tackling the root causes—outdated airport infrastructure, a shortage of air – craft, and underinvestment in the aviation sector.

However, FAAN is already taking action within its means by investing in critical infrastructure and optimising operations to ensure compliance with international standards.

This includes improving the cargo processing facilities at MMIA and ensuring the handling of both perishable and non-perishable goods meets lobal benchmarks.

A significant step in this effort was the commissioning of Nahcoaviance’s N1 billion Export Processing and Packaging Centre in February 2024.

This pathway tracks exports from registered farms, through licensed handlers, and ensures compliance with stringent regulatory checks by Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS), NDLEA, and Customs before goods are sent to airlines.

The export pathway includes a registered shipper who aggregates and consolidates products, a regulated agent licensed as KC3, and certified handling companies meeting international standards.

These measures are designed to increase Nigeria’s export acceptance, reduce cargo rejection rates, and streamline operations. These trial runs aim to assess the effectiveness of the Air Cargo Pathway developed by the Roadmap Committee”.

The trials will involve stake holders from across the Air Cargo ecosystem, including key government agencies such as the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), NAFDAC, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS), NDLEA, and Nigerian Customs.

This collaborative effort is designed to ensure smoother, more reliable export processes for Nigerian goods, especially perishables, and improve the overall efficiency of the sector.

Under Kuku’s leadership, the cargo section of Nigeria’s airports is undergoing a major transformation. John Ogbe, Head of the Cargo Department, emphasized that nearly 90% of cargo personnel have been registered, with biometric data collection to follow.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, April 28 (Reuters) - At least 26 people were killed on Monday when two vehicles detonated an improvised explosive device in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, the heartland of an Islamist insurgency, residents said.
The International Safety Organization, which provides security to foreign non-governmental organisations in the northeast, said in an internal memo seen by Reuters that the vehicles moving between the towns of Rann and Gamboru Ngala hit an IED.

By Ope Adetayo

Summary

• Militants have upped activity since January
• Less infighting, better technology seen as factors
• Islamic State may also be sending help, analysts say
• Dozens killed in attacks in recent days

ABUJA, April 29 (Reuters) - A surge in attacks in Nigeria's northeast by Boko Haram and its splinter rival ISWAP has raised fears of a major comeback by jihadists, whose tactics now include armed drones and explosive devices planted on major roads, security experts said.

At least 22 people were killed in weekend raids by militants in Adamawa and Borno states, while 26 others died on Monday after an explosive device ripped into two vehicles in Borno.

By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA, April 29 (Reuters) - Nigeria has appointed a new commander for its fight against insurgency in the northeast after renewed attacks in the last four months that have killed several civilians and soldiers in the region.

The military appointed Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar as its 15th commander in the fight against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the northeast, Reuben Kovangiya, spokesperson for the operation, said in a statement.

Abubakar's previous roles include deputy commandant of the Nigerian Defence College and commander of a major security operation in north-central Nigeria.

Boko Haram and its splinter rival, the Islamic State West Africa Province, have increased attacks in recent weeks in northeast Nigeria. 

These incidents have raised fears of a major comeback by the jihadists, whose tactics now include armed drones and explosive devices planted on major roads, security experts said.

On Tuesday, ISWAP claimed responsibility for an attack on Borno state that killed at least 26 people, the group said in a statement on Telegram.

By : Sodiq Omolaoye, Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s timely intervention protected thousands of Nigerian pilgrims from being priced out of this year’s Hajj.

Shettima noted that amid rising costs of Hajj fare and sharp depreciation of the Naira, Tinubu approved critical measures that shielded intending pilgrims from the harsh impact of global economic shocks.

The Vice President stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at the second National Hajj Stakeholders Summit organised by the Hajj Institute of Nigeria (HIN) in collaboration with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

The summit, themed “Sustainable Hajj Financing: Developing a Resilient Model for Nigerian Pilgrims and Operators”, brought together stakeholders to explore long-term solutions for financing Hajj in Nigeria.

Shettima, who was represented by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legal and Compliance Matters, Office of the Vice President, Bashir Maidugu, noted that the support from the President included ensuring the timely allocation of foreign exchange and diplomatic engagements with Saudi authorities to secure more favourable terms for Nigerian pilgrims.

The Vice President said: “In the last two years, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to ensuring the success and improvement of Hajj operations in Nigeria.

“Recognising the spiritual significance of Hajj to millions of Nigerians, the Tinubu administration has consistently provided the necessary support, ranging from facilitating timely foreign exchange allocations for pilgrims to diplomatic engagements with Saudi authorities to secure better terms and conditions for Nigerians.

“The recent landmark approval of special interventions to cushion the impact of rising costs on 2025 Hajj operations is a clear testimony to this administration’s dedication.

“In the face of global economic challenges and sharp fluctuations in the value of the Naira, Mr. President personally approved critical measures to protect the interests of intending pilgrims, ensuring that this sacred obligation remains within reach for thousands of Nigerian Muslims.”

Shettima added that the present administration has actively supported institutional reforms aimed at strengthening NACHON and other stakeholders, laying a foundation for a more resilient and self-sustaining Hajj sector.

According to him, the increasing costs associated with Hajj, coupled with economic fluctuations and global uncertainties, underscore the necessity for funding a sustainable financing model for Hajj and Umrah.

The Vice President said Nigeria needed to establish a system that ensures affordability for pilgrims while maintaining the integrity and quality of service.

Shettima urged stakeholders to take lessons from successful models in Malaysia and Indonesia, which he said have built resilient Hajj savings schemes that subsidise pilgrimage costs and contribute to national development.

He specifically referenced Malaysia’s Tabung Haji, which he added has successfully combined Sharia-compliant savings with strategic investments over six decades, and Indonesia’s Hajj Fund Management Agency (BPKH), which recently provided a 59 per cent subsidy to its pilgrims.

“These models exemplify the potential of strategic fund management in achieving both financial sustainability and enhanced pilgrim service,” Shettima said.

“It is in alignment with these global best practices that in the year 2020, NACHON rolled out its Hajj savings scheme as provided for in its establishment act.”

Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged the management of the Hajj Commission to digitize and simplify Hajj operations to reduce costs and improve services that could support pilgrims’ comfort and safety.

Represented by the Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Dr. Shehu Chindo Yamusa III, the Sultan called on the Hajj institute to provide training and certification programs for Hajj operators, staff, and stakeholders, including providing means for research on Hajj operations to help policymakers in decision making.

“Our Imams and Islamic teachers, I humbly call on you to provide spiritual guidance, encouraging cooperation on the rights and welfare of Pilgrims, this will help in the development of policies aligned with religious values and principles,” he said.

Speaking, Chairman of NAHCON, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, said the commission is fully prepared for the 2025 Hajj operations.

He disclosed that the Federal Government has licensed four airlines for the airlift of over 40,000 pilgrims, excluding more than 14,000 traveling with tour operators.

Usman said the inaugural flight for this year’s Hajj has been scheduled for May 9, while assuring Nigerians of the commitment of the commission to provide effective and efficient services to pilgrims.

The Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria, Ms. Sharon Dimanche, has urged joint efforts to advance the validation of the revised National Migration Policy (NMP) 2025.

READ ALSO: IOM inaugurates migration response centre in Somalia

She made this appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level meeting focused on validating the updated NMP and its integrated implementation plan.

Dimanche described the policy as a call for stronger collaboration and a whole-of-society approach to enhance migration governance and ensure no migrant is left behind.

“This milestone reflects Nigeria’s dedication to building an inclusive, evidence-based migration governance framework that aligns with global best practices,” she stated, adding that the meeting marks the culmination of months of work by numerous stakeholders.

Dimanche noted that the revised National Migration Policy and its implementation plan build on previous achievements and are aligned with key international frameworks, including the Global Compact for Migration.

She highlighted that the updated policy addresses critical issues such as climate-induced displacement, migration governance, and diaspora engagement.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda—represented by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State—emphasized the significance of the revised policy.

“Many of the migration challenges we face today are not solely economic but stem from the absence of systems that enable individuals to realize their full potential,” he stated.

The world’s big industrial-scale consumers of oil are flashing warning lights for demand as the tariff war causes the outlook for the global economy to deteriorate.

Several U.S. airlines withdrew earnings guidance for this year over the past several weeks, citing uncertainty in the global economic environment and a recent spate of soft domestic bookings.

In the freight market, more than 40% of container ship capacity between Asia and the U.S. has been canceled for some of the coming weeks and top liners are using smaller vessels to meet customer needs.

Collectively, they offer some of the first real-world reactions to a tariff war that’s meant to reset U.S. relations with the nation’s top trading partners. The aviation and marine fuel sectors account for more than 10% of global oil consumption combined, and there are potential knock-ons for the truckers transporting containers when goods arrive at their destinations, leading to a further threat to diesel consumption.

“The year started out very strong, however, that changed and we saw demand weakened as the quarter progressed, especially in leisure demand,” Bob Jordan, chief executive officer of Southwest Airlines Co., said in an earnings call this month. “We have seen softer booking trends continue into the second quarter.”

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis in the U.S. show that heavy truck sales fell to the lowest level since 2020 last month. Apollo Global Management said it expects trucking demand to grind to a halt in the U.S. next month, leading to layoffs across the industry.

Consultant FGE said this week that it now expects global diesel demand to decline versus a year earlier in the second and third quarters as consumption slows, citing burgeoning impact of the trade war.

“This reflects both worsening trade and reduced manufacturing and industrial activity,” it said.

Still, the picture isn’t uniformly doom and gloom.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. said that while there was a decline in bookings between the U.S. and Canada, its other international travel markets remained robust.

Outside the U.S., some European carriers said they’re yet to see a slowdown in forward bookings before summer. Still, Air France-KLM said it is seeing some softness in economy ticket sales, particularly for transatlantic flights.

Similarly, for come container shipping companies, while volumes to the U.S. from China have fallen, they’ve picked up from other southeast Asian nations.

Hapag Lloyd AG, the world’s fifth-largest container carrier, said about 30% of bookings from China to the U.S. have been canceled, though journeys from Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand are all heavily up. Clarkson Plc, the world’s largest shipbroker, cut its 2025 profit outlook on Thursday, saying uncertainty from the potential of a trade war has escalated. A cruise shipping line warned Wednesday of softer forward bookings.

The Dow Jones Transportation Average index, which tracks an average of 20 U.S. transportation stocks, is down almost 15% so far this year, outpacing a decline in the S&P 500.

Push and pull

The push and pull means it’s far from the dark days of the early pandemic when global shutdowns crushed consumption by about a third at the same time that key producers were pumping as much as they could, ultimately pulling prices briefly below zero.

But an uncertain outlook and tentative signs of slowdown underscore why oil watchers have been quick to downgrade their forecasts for the year — so far reducing expectations for demand growth by a third. Alongside lower transport fuel consumption, there’s also a threat to petrochemical demand from lower trade — a sector that is expected to provide the majority of oil demand growth this year.

In China, factory activity slipped into the worst contraction since December 2023, revealing early damage from the trade war. South Korean chemical manufacturer LG Chem Ltd. warned that there could be a dampening of demand for its products as a result of tariffs, while the International Energy Agency has already cut its forecasts for the main petrochemical feedstocks.

United Parcel Service Inc. said on an earnings call that small and medium sized business — which make up a third of its total U.S. volumes — are expected to slow down their shipments in the second quarter.

The company added that many of those businesses are 100% single-sourced in China and don’t have the working capital to pull forward inventory of goods.

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. said on Wednesday that it expects slower cargo movements across the shipping industry this year and global economic stagnation as a result of U.S. tariffs. It said it was expecting lower rates in its container, car carrier and chemical tanker arms.

The warning adds to a picture of fewer products arriving in the U.S. in the coming weeks, with ramifications for the oil-consuming parts of the economy.

“Bookings and container loadings in Asia overall are down precipitously and will continue in that light for some time,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles said at a hearing last week. “If you’re a trucker and you’re hauling four or five containers today, you may haul two or three in the future.”

With assistance from Brendan Murray, Jack Wittels and Benedikt Kammel.

Alex Longley, Bloomberg News

The Trump administration is offering undocumented migrants $1,000 and paid travel if they agree to leave the US voluntarily, the latest effort to ramp up mass deportations and slash enforcement costs.

The Department of Homeland Security said migrants who self-deport using the CBP Home app will receive the stipend once it’s verified that they’ve returned to their home country. Officials called the program a more efficient alternative to costly arrests and removals.