The Federal Government of Nigeria has stated it has not received official communication from the United States regarding reports that Nigerians and other West Africans deported from the U.S. have been sent to Ghana under a new arrangement.

On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Ghanaian President John Mahama announced that Ghana had accepted a group of 14 deportees, including Nigerians and a Gambian, who arrived in Accra as part of an agreement with the U.S. to receive West African nationals. Mahama noted that West Africans do not require visas to enter Ghana, facilitating their return to their home countries. The exact number of Nigerians among the deportees remains unspecified.

Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters on Thursday, September 11, 2025, that no formal notification had been received from the U.S. regarding the deportations. This follows Nigeria’s earlier rejection of a U.S. proposal to accept Venezuelan deportees under a “third-country deportation” policy, which allows the U.S. to send deportees to countries other than their own when their home nations refuse repatriation.

The U.S. policy, revived after a June 23, 2025, Supreme Court ruling, has sparked controversy across Africa. Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, had previously criticized the U.S. for pressuring African nations to accept deportees, including those convicted of crimes, describing the move as “unacceptable” and a burden on countries facing their own challenges. The U.S. has also threatened visa sanctions against nations like South Sudan that initially resisted accepting deportees, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing visa restrictions for South Sudanese passport holders in April 2025.

The U.S. has intensified its deportation efforts under President Donald Trump’s administration, with reports indicating that 2,330 Nigerians have been deported since 2014, including 20 in 2025. Additionally, 3,690 Nigerians are currently listed for potential deportation, with 201 held in U.S. immigration camps, 85 of whom are cleared for repatriation to Nigeria.

Nigeria has established an inter-agency committee, involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and other bodies, to manage the potential return of its citizens. The situation remains fluid, with Nigeria urging the U.S. to ensure a humane and dignified deportation process while awaiting formal clarification on the reported arrangement with Ghana.