In 2020, Nigeria was one of five countries targeted by a travel ban policy under the US administration of Donald Trump. Under the directive, Nigerian immigrants were no longer eligible for visas that would allow them to live permanently in the US. Following Trump’s presidential re-election in November 2024, a TikTok video claiming he would issue new visa restrictions on Nigerian professionals was shared tens of thousands of times. However, AFP Fact Check discovered that manipulated audio had been added to footage filmed during his second-term victory speech. There was no mention of any visa guidelines during the speech.
Days after Trump won his second term on November 5, 2024, a TikTok video surfaced claiming he had announced a new policy limiting visa approvals for Nigerian professionals.
“Donald Trump just announced that America will no longer issue visas to Nigerians,” reads the caption of the video, which has been viewed more than two million times.
According to the audio, this move will “help Nigerians dedicate their skills to the progress of Nigeria itself.”
A screenshot of the fake TikTok post, taken on November 19, 2024
“I am announcing a temporary policy change aimed at encouraging Nigerians, especially those in critical professions, to stay, invest and work in their home countries,” said a voice resembling Trump.
“As part of this policy, the US will restrict certain visa approvals for Nigerian professionals, including doctors, nurses, engineers and others in essential fields.”
The TikTok video was also shared on X, including here, here and here.
‘Japa’ phenomenon
High poverty rates, a struggling economy and unemployment have forced thousands of educated Nigerians to flee the country – a trend popularly called ‘Japa’ in the local Yoruba language.
According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the number of international migrants from Nigeria in 2020, the latest year for which figures are available, was 1.7 million, up from 990,000 a decade earlier (archived here).
Trump issued immigration restrictions on citizens of six countries, including Nigeria, the same year (archived here).
According to the Migration Policy Institute, Nigerians made up the largest group of African immigrants in the US in 2022, with more than 440,000 (archived here).
However, there is no indication that Trump has announced any new restrictions yet. The audio in the viral TikTok video was generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
AI-generated audio
If you look closely at the footage, it appears that Trump’s speech and lip movements do not match, a possible indication of manipulation.
Using InVID-WeVerify, AFP Fact Check traced the original clip to FOX 5 Washington DC’s YouTube channel, where it was published on November 6, 2024, after Trump defeated Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris in the election (archived here).
“FULL SPEECH: Trump expects winner of 2024 presidential election,” the video caption reads.
At the 4’38” mark we identified the segment in the original clip used in the TikTok post. Trump’s head movement, his full body turn to the left, the camera panning to a wide shot of others on stage and his open arms all match the sequence in the misleading TikTok video.
Screenshots of Trump’s movements in the original video that match the TikTok video
In his 30-minute speech, Trump made no mention of Nigeria’s visa restrictions, instead saying, “We’re going to fix our borders.”
“We’re going to have to close those borders… We want people to come back in… but they have to come in legally,” he said.
On November 18, 2024, Trump confirmed that he plans to declare a national border security emergency and use the US military to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants (archived here).
Immigration was a top issue in the election campaign, and Trump has pledged to deport millions and stabilize the border with Mexico after record numbers of migrants crossed illegally during President Joe Biden’s administration.
AFP Fact Check has contacted the US Consulate in Nigeria for comment and will update the denial accordingly.
