Why Nigeria was banned from US visa lottery

Jeffery Hawkins, U.S. Consul-General, on Thursday, gave reasons why
Nigeria was banned from participating in its 2015 Diversity-Visa-
Programme registration.
Mr Hawkins told journalists at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos,
that Nigeria was among other countries that had in the last five
years, sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. through the
programme.
“As at today, Nigerians have graduated from being under-
represented to being a fully well represented group in the U.S,” he
said. “There is therefore no longer any need to encourage Nigerians to
apply to travel to the U.S. through the Diversity-Visa-Programme.
Already there are too many Nigerians in the U.S. that have benefited
from this programme.”
The envoy explained that the diversity visa was created to promote
countries with low rates of immigration to the US.
He, however, said that the U.S. authorities would continue to give
preference to Nigerians travelling to U.S for visits, business
transactions, studies and professional engagements.
“All other types of immigration from Nigeria to the US, apart from
the diversity visa, would continue unabated,” he said. “Also, let me say
that the ban has nothing to do with our relations with Nigeria now,
and in the years ahead.”
He also dismissed insinuations making the rounds that the move was to
reduce the number of Nigerians travelling to the U.S.
The U.S official also said that the development had “nothing to do
with insecurity, activities of Boko Haram and other forms of upheaval
in Nigeria”.
The U.S. Department of State recently banned Nigeria, Bangladesh,
Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El
Salvador and Haiti from participating in the 2015 Diversity-Visa-
Programme. Other affected countries are: India, Jamaica, Mexico,
Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, U. K. and Vietnam.