SPOTLIGHT

The United States government has proposed a new fee of $70,000 for international students who want to work in the country after completing their studies. The proposal, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would affect students on F-1 visas who want to take part in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme. OPT allows eligible international students to work temporarily in jobs related to their course of study after graduation. Under the proposed rule,

Nigerians living and working outside the country may now have a new way to build retirement savings through Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), following a fresh initiative by the National Pension Commission (PenCom). The commission said its new approach is designed to make the pension system more accessible to Nigerians whose employment situations do not fit the traditional employer-employee model. PenCom Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this while sp

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has initiated legal proceedings to revoke the citizenship of 40 naturalised Americans, including two Nigerians, over alleged fraud, concealment of information and other serious offences. The U.S. Department of Justice said the denaturalisation cases were filed across federal courts between August 21 and October 2, describing them as the largest number of such complaints filed within a single period during the Trump administrat

Nigerians living in Canada may soon be able to take the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) without returning to Nigeria, following plans by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to establish an examination centre in Ottawa. JAMB announced that efforts were underway to set up the proposed centre, with operations expected to begin in 2027. The board said the initiative is designed to provide greater access to the UTME for eligible Nigerian candidate

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has praised Nigeria’s influence on global culture, describing Nigerians in New York as an important part of the city’s identity and success. Mamdani made the remarks during Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day Carnival in New York, which brought together Nigerian diplomats, community representatives and members of the Nigerian community to mark the country’s independence anniversary. The mayor, who was born in Kampala, Uganda, received an enthusi

Tanzania has eased its visa process for Nigerian travellers by removing Nigeria from its Referred Visa Category, allowing applicants to use the country’s regular visa application procedures. The previous arrangement required Nigerian nationals to obtain approval from the Office of the Commissioner General of Immigration before travelling to Tanzania. Applicants were also advised to submit their requests at least two months before their planned travel dates. With the new arran

Mauritania’s Coast Guard has rescued 260 migrants from two boats after they spent about a week stranded at sea along the country’s Atlantic coastline. The rescue operation took place on Sunday after the vessels were located near Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital. According to the Coast Guard, the passengers had endured severe difficulties during the journey after their food supplies ran low and the boats experienced fuel and navigation problems. The migrants had reportedly

Nigerians living in Canada have commended the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) for the successful completion of a passport intervention programme that served 2,233 applicants across five Canadian provinces. The intervention was organised as part of the Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference (NiDEC) in Toronto and ran from August 12 to September 4, 2026. Passport services were tak

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians living abroad to continue supporting economic development in the country, insisting that Nigeria remains open to business and investment despite negative reports circulating on social media. Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday, September 23, during an engagement with members of the Nigerian diaspora community in the United States at the Nigeria House in New York. The vice president said the Federal Government was imple