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The United States (US) has warned that it will withhold visa approval from any Nigerian whose primary purpose of going to the US is birth tourism. The US Mission in Nigeria recently posted the warning on their website, insisting that the practice was no longer permitted in the US. The statement reads: “We will deny your visa if we believe your primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States to get US citizenship for your child.”
Birth tourism is a practice that allows pregnant women to travel to another country for the purpose of giving birth, enables the mother to secure citizenship for her unborn child based on the country’s birthright citizenship law. The practice is particularly attractive in countries that offer jus soli (right of soil) citizenship, meaning that a child born in the country’s territory automatically becomes a citizen regardless of the parents’ nationality or residency status.
The practice has come under scrutiny in recent times, especially in America where President Donald Trump signed an executive order at the start of his administration to end birthright citizenship for children whose parents are residing illegally in America, starting from February 2025.
The recent warning by the US against birth medical tourism is a wake-up call on the Nigerian government to develop the country’s healthcare system to world-class standard so that mothers intending to give birth will have access to adequate medical care. Many Nigerians and people from most third world countries use the opportunity of giving birth to travel to the US in order to automatically acquire US citizenship for their new born babies.
They believe that having their babies in the US will secure their future. Many people who indulge in this practice do so because they have no hope or trust that the child will have a bright future in his country. The economic hardship in the country, under-funded education sector and poor healthcare system can be used as excuse to justify birth tourism. Indeed, citizens of a country with a workable healthcare system and a great potential for the development of a child would not embark on birth tourism. Most times, many Nigerians sell their properties and other belongings to afford the birth medical tourism to the US.
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In Nigeria, the budgetary allocation to health is ridiculous. In the 2025 budget, Nigeria’s health sector is allocated N2.48 trillion, which represents 5.18% of the total budget. This allocation falls short of the allocation of 15% of national budget to health sector set by African leaders in Abuja in 2001. The 2.48 trillion includes specific allocations for health infrastructure (N402 billion) and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (N282.65 billion).
No serious country will allocate such a ridiculous amount of money to the health system and expect the citizens not to seek birth medical tourism abroad. All the teaching hospitals in the country are in a state of disrepair with obsolete facilities. Health workers are not adequately remunerated which accounts for their massive exodus from the country. Recently, nurses went on a warning strike due to poor conditions of service. Although the nurses have temporarily called off the strike, it underscores the general discontent of health workers across the country.
If the government does not swiftly respond and negotiate with the nurses, there will be more strikes by the nurses, which may cripple the entire health systems. There is no gainsaying that adequately remunerated health workers are vital to the survival of any country’s health sector.
Although many Nigerians feel that the US and Donald Trump have slighted Nigerians by threatening to stop birth visa to the US, it is essential that the Nigeria government see the development as an opportunity to revisit the conditions that force people out of the country for birth tourism. The country’s health system should be revamped thoroughly in a demonstrable way. The federal government should lead the way while the state and local governments should follow suit. Health workers in the country across board and in all categories should be well remunerated to stem the tide of brain drain in the country.
If the government restores the confidence of Nigerians in the health sector, many people will not embark on birth tourism. The US and other developed countries with sophisticated healthcare system were developed by their governments. So, the Nigerian government should take a cue from them and also develop the country’s healthcare system. The US birth visa ban could be a blessing in disguise. The government at all levels should accept this reality and look inwards to develop the country’s health sector forthwith.
