The United States Department of State has announced changes to its reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy that affect Nigerian citizens.

Starting immediately, most U.S. non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerians will be single-entry visas valid for three months.

In a statement on the website of the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria on July 8, the Department of State said visas issued before July 8, 2025, will maintain their original validity and terms.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria noted that visa reciprocity is an ongoing process subject to periodic review, which may lead to adjustments in the number of permitted entries or the duration of visa validity.

Updated information on visa reciprocity for all countries is available on the U.S. Department of State website.

The U.S. Department of State emphasized that its visa criteria aim to safeguard the integrity of U.S. immigration systems by adhering to global technical and security standards.

These criteria include ensuring the issuance of secure travel documents, limiting visa overstays, and sharing relevant security and criminal information to enhance public safety.

Officials from the U.S. Mission said they are collaborating with Nigerian government agencies to help Nigeria meet these standards.

The statement acknowledged the efforts of Nigeria’s immigration and security authorities toward aligning with international best practices but noted that challenges remain.

Nigerian travelers were advised to comply fully with visa terms and ensure their travel documents are genuine and current.

The U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with Nigeria through business, education, and cultural exchanges, emphasizing continued cooperation with Nigerian officials to promote safe and lawful travel between the two countries.

The Federal Government has pegged the minimum admissible age for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria at 16 years.

Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced this on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

The 16-year age requirement will be enforced through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), with efforts made to accommodate candidates who would turn 16 by 31st August 2025.

However, JAMB expressed concern that some institutions had violated this directive by admitting underage candidates through channels outside CAPS and collecting substantial amounts from them as tuition fees.

“The Board implemented the 16-year admissible age on its CAPS platform and even bent backwards to accommodate candidates who would be 16 as of 31st August 2025.

“However, some institutions admitted candidates who were not up to the admissible age of 16 outside CAPS and even collected huge sums of money from them as tuition fees,” JAMB stated.

The Board noted that all such admissions were illegal and could not be processed through CAPS, adding that some of these cases had led to litigation against the offending institutions.

The 16-year minimum admission age comes after last year’s controversy, when former Education Minister, Prof. Tahir Mamman, faced backlash from stakeholders over his attempt to raise the benchmark to 18, a move many said was criticised.

In a related development, JAMB announced that beginning with the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), each candidate’s result slip will now include their national ranking among peers.

The initiative, according to the Board, is aimed at discouraging the celebration of high UTME scores in isolation and curbing the spread of fake scores.

“To curb the menace of celebrating top scorers of UTME, candidates’ ranking (position) will be indicated on the result slip for each candidate,” the Board explained.

JAMB stated that this measure would assist institutions in better evaluating the quality of applicants and provide a standardised reference point across cohorts.

By publishing ranking information, JAMB believes that candidates parading falsified scores would also be discouraged, and institutions would gain a clearer sense of the academic standing of each applicant.

For context, the Board revealed that in the 2025 UTME, out of a total of 1,905,539 candidates, a score of 370 is ranked 16th, 320 is ranked 5,806th, 250 is ranked 107,819th, 200 is ranked 533,805th, 180 is ranked 948,025th, 140 is ranked 1,855,607th, 120 is ranked 1,900,872nd, while 100 is ranked 1,903,661st.

JAMB reiterated its commitment to equity, transparency, and merit-based admissions in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

The ongoing policy meeting, attended by vice-chancellors, registrars, and provosts of tertiary institutions nationwide, is expected to conclude with the approval of admission cut-off marks and other regulatory guidelines for the 2025 academic session.

Digital solutions company, Globacom, has moved to excite its customers with the launch of three innovative products which also offer amazing rewards to users.

The products are Animation World Promo, Sport Brain, and Treasure Spin. In addition to offering subscribers content designed for varying interests, they also empower them with instant prizes including cash, airtime and data.

Giving details of the offerings in a press statement released in Lagos on Tuesday, Globacom said that everyday 20 participants will win ₦1,000 cash each, along with additional rewards including ₦1,000 worth of airtime and 3.5GB data. Every week, five lucky winners will go home with ₦100,000 each, while a grand monthly winner will be rewarded with ₦1 million, the company added.

According to Globacom, Animation World Promo is a trivia-based service that challenges subscribers’ knowledge of Nigerian cuisine. Participants are invited to answer fun, food-related questions, earn points, and unlock exciting rewards, making it a deliciously engaging way to learn and win.

On the other hand, Sport Brain is an interactive football-prediction game that allows subscribers to forecast match scores across top global leagues. Users can select their preferred leagues and fixtures, test their football instincts, and stand a chance to win exciting prizes, making it a perfect experience for football enthusiasts.

The third offering, Treasure Spin, avails subscribers the thrill of a digital treasure hunt. With each spin, users have the opportunity to win instant rewards, turning every participation into a potentially rewarding adventure.

On how to access the services, Globacom said subscribers are required to dial *13055*2# for Animation World Promo, *13199*2# for Sport Brain, and *13199*3# for Treasure Spin. Each service is available under flexible subscription options, including a daily plan for ₦100, a weekly plan for ₦300, and a monthly plan for ₦500. These plans can be activated either as a one-time purchase or through auto-renewal, depending on the subscriber’s preference.

The three services, Globacom added, are available to all Glo prepaid and postpaid subscribers nationwide. It noted that the services reflect its commitment to delivering innovative and engaging value-added solutions to its customers across the country.