President Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday resulted in the release of multiple executive orders intended at modifying US policy on immigration, health, and foreign relations, among other things.
While the orders were largely aimed at fulfilling his pledges to usher in a “golden age of America,” their ramifications extended far beyond the country to Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, would surely feel the impact of Trump’s executive actions on immigration limits, health and trade policies, energy, and so on.
The following are five significant executive orders issued by Trump and how they will effect Nigeria.
- Birthright Citizenship: Following Trump’s executive order “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which went into effect on February 20, Nigerians can no longer travel to the United States to give birth in the hope that the baby will be automatically granted American citizenship.
Passports, citizenship certificates, and other documentation will no longer be issued to children born in the United States to moms who are illegally here or have a temporary visa.
Furthermore, if their dads are not citizens or legal permanent residents, their children will be denied citizenship in the United States.
For a kid born in the United States to become an American citizen, at least one parent must be a US citizen or green card holder.
- External Revenue Service: As part of his America First Trade Policy, Trump announced intentions to establish an External Revenue Service, with the goal of collecting taxes, levies, and other foreign trade revenue.
Taiwo Oyedele, head of Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, said on his X (previously Twitter) profile that imposing tariffs and taxes on other nations might disrupt international trade and further confuse the already complex global tax system.
According to Oyedele, Trump’s decision emphasized the urgency of Nigeria’s ongoing tax reform efforts.
“By reforming our tax system, we can better navigate potential challenges and seize any opportunities that this development may present,” he stated.
- Deportation Policy: On Monday, Trump launched his massive immigration crackdown, tasked the US military with border security.
Declaring illegal immigration a national emergency, Trump directed the Pentagon to assist with border wall construction, detention space, and migrant transit, and authorized the secretary of Defense to send troops to the border as needed.
Shortly after the inauguration, US border officials announced the shutdown of outgoing President Joe Biden’s CBP One entry program, which allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the country lawfully by making an appointment through an app.
Existing appointments were cancelled, leaving migrants in shock and unclear what to do.
Though Obed Monago, Director of the African Diaspora Congress, warned Nigerians in the US that fears of mass deportation under the Trump administration are baseless, he also stated that US immigration laws are likely to become harsher.
If Monago’s statement is true, it implies that Nigerians who do not comply with immigration policies, as well as Nigerians who live in the United States and rely on their children’s citizenship, are already at risk of deportation.
- Energy Emergency: Donald Trump proclaimed a national energy emergency, as part of a barrage of pro-fossil fuel moves and efforts to “unleash” already growing US oil production, including ripping back drilling regulations in Alaska and removing a pause on gas exports.According to Yusuf, a drop in global oil prices will lower local energy prices, which is beneficial to businesses and Nigerians, even if “it will negatively impact Nigeria’s oil revenue,” as he stated.
- Withdrawal from WHO: Trump’s announcement that the United States will withdraw from the World Health Organization reinforces his dislike of the organization and its leadership. During Trump’s first term in 2020, he attempted to persuade the US to withdraw from the global health organization, citing alleged mishandling of the Covid-19 epidemic and other health problems.Trump accused the organization of seeking “unfairly onerous payments from the US, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments” in Monday’s executive order, a reference to China, which, according to Trump, adds nearly 90% less to the WHO.The United States is the WHO’s largest donor and partner, contributing $1.284 billion during the 2022-2023 biennium. The absence of US financing will have a significant impact on the WHO’s and its partners’ ability to identify and respond to emergencies worldwide, as well as advance other vital global health priorities. The departure is expected to have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria and Africa as a whole, where the US-WHO cooperation has played a critical role in resolving public health issues such as disease outbreaks, staff shortages, and health-care system disparities. The United States has played a critical role in assisting WHO-led emergency responses to epidemics such as Ebola, Marburg virus, and mpox. In recent years, the United States and the World Health Organization collaborated to administer vaccines and strengthen health-care system capacity in various African countries. Additionally, organizations like the Africa CDC are significantly dependant on WHO and U.S collaboration and may face funding shortfalls with the withdrawal.
