…Nigeria and Africa Worst Hit By Trump’s “America First” Doctrine
President Donald Trump has ordered the recall of Richard Mills as United States ambassador to Nigeria, in a sweeping diplomatic overhaul that coincides with fresh visa restrictions targeting Nigerians and citizens of 18 other countries.
The recall of Mills is part of a broader reshaping of US foreign representation under Trump’s “America First” agenda, with Africa emerging as the most affected region. Nigeria is among 15 African countries whose ambassadors are being withdrawn, alongside Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda.
The shake-up extends beyond the continent. In the Asia-Pacific region, US envoys to Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam are exiting their posts. In Europe, Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia are affected, while Guatemala and Suriname were impacted in the western hemisphere.
US State Department officials said the affected chiefs of mission were informed last week that their tenures would end in January. Although many of the diplomats had survived an earlier purge during the opening months of Trump’s second term—largely aimed at political appointees—formal notices of recall were issued from Washington midweek.
Officials confirmed that the ambassadors were appointed during the administration of former President Joe Biden and are now concluding their assignments in line with the Trump administration’s new foreign policy direction. While their ambassadorial roles are ending, the diplomats are not losing their foreign service positions and may return to Washington for other postings.
Mills, who was confirmed as US ambassador to Nigeria in May, is exiting at a sensitive time in US–Nigeria relations, which have recently been strained by visa issues and security concerns. His recall comes as Washington simultaneously moves to tighten immigration controls affecting Nigerians.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the US Embassy in Nigeria confirmed that visa issuance would be partially suspended from January 1, 2026. Nigeria is among 19 countries affected by a new presidential directive on immigration.
According to the embassy, the action follows Presidential Proclamation 10998 on “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.” The measure will suspend the issuance of nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas as well as F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas, in addition to most immigrant visas.
The suspension applies to nationals of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with limited exceptions for certain categories, including dual nationals, lawful permanent residents, and special immigrant visa holders.
The diplomatic recall and visa restrictions are unfolding even as both countries maintain channels of engagement. Only recently, Mills met with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to discuss bilateral cooperation, following remarks by US Congressman Riley Moore that Washington and Abuja were close to finalising a “strategic security framework” to tackle terrorism.
Together, the twin developments underscore a significant recalibration of US engagement with Nigeria and other affected countries, as diplomatic representation and immigration policy are reshaped to reflect the Trump administration’s evolving global priorities.