For Oluwaseun Lijoke, a Nigerian professional with an impressive travel history, what was meant to be a relaxing trip to the Maldives turned into an experience laced with humiliation, frustration, and quiet heartbreak.
On Friday, July 18, 2025, the Agric and Non-Export Finance Manager took to social media to share how she was held up for over two hours by immigration officials in the Maldives — without explanation. Her only “offense”? Being Nigerian.
“Despite showing strong travel history, I was profiled and treated with suspicion… just for being Nigerian,” she wrote.
Delayed, Doubted, and Dismissed
Oluwaseun said the experience cost her more than time. She missed her scheduled speedboat transfer, a common means of reaching island resorts in the Maldives. The delay forced her to make last-minute hotel bookings, incurring extra expenses and disrupting her plans.
“My speedboat left. I had to book a new hotel last-minute,” she lamented.
But beyond the inconvenience, what hurt the most was the unspoken judgment — being treated as a potential risk despite having nothing to hide.
The Weight of a Green Passport
Her story is one that resonates with many Nigerians who travel abroad and face extra scrutiny, no matter how clean their records or how credible their reasons for travel. Holding a Nigerian passport, for some, feels like carrying an unfair stigma.
“Being Nigerian shouldn’t feel like a curse,” Oluwaseun added — a powerful sentence that has since sparked conversation online.
Her message has struck a chord with fellow travelers, who shared similar stories of being profiled at airports, questioned with suspicion, and judged before being heard.
A Call for Change
While Oluwaseun eventually made it into the Maldives, her story highlights the broader struggles of Nigerians abroad, many of whom find themselves fighting stereotypes they didn’t create.
Her story is not just about one border checkpoint — it’s about the quiet indignities many Nigerians face globally. It’s a call for more respectful and unbiased immigration practices and a reminder that our nationality should never be a burden.
