In a press release made available to Africa Digital News, New York, and posted Sunday night on his verified and official Facebook account, Professor MarkAnthony Nze announced the launch of a public petition and formal congressional engagement seeking review of U.S. visa practices affecting academic travel and scholarly exchange. The release reads in full below, with the copy attached.
Professor Nze, Founder and Academic Director of the New York Centre for Advanced Research (NYCAR) and Editor-in-Chief of People & Polity Inc., described the initiative as a calm, principled appeal for clarity, transparency, and due process in visa adjudication for legitimate academic travel.
According to the statement, the engagement is not intended to challenge U.S. immigration policy or undermine American institutions, but rather to ensure that scholars invited and supported by reputable institutions are not unintentionally excluded from conferences, research programs, and short-term academic exchanges.
Nze noted that his book Beyond Chains, written years ago, played a defining role in his journey to the United States, and that his work as a journalist and academic has long centered on ethical, fact-based inquiry—sometimes at personal cost. In recent months, he said he has received a growing number of reports from Nigerian scholars and professionals whose visa applications were denied despite strong academic records and clear institutional backing.
Read also: Why Ending Nigeria’s Visa Ban Serves U.S. Interests—Part 3
As a member of the American Association of University Professors and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Management Institute (UK), Nze said he considers it a professional responsibility to act as a mediator and institutional voice rather than an agitator.
The statement also provides contextual data on Nigeria’s contribution to the U.S. professional landscape, particularly in healthcare. International medical graduates account for about 23 percent of licensed physicians in the United States, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards. While the largest source regions include the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, Nigeria remains a leading contributor among African nations, with about 3,895 Nigeria-trained doctors licensed in the U.S. as of 2020.
Read further: Why Ending Nigeria’s Visa Ban Serves U.S. Interests—Part 1
A formal request for congressional review will be submitted through the office of Senator Chuck Schumer, as well as directly to relevant congressional committees and U.S. government departments. In addition, Africa Digital News will host a two-week, non-political petition inviting Nigerian professionals worldwide to register their support.
Nze described the effort as “an appeal to posterity,” emphasizing academic collaboration, institutional trust, and mutual respect.
Editor’s Note: The full press statement issued by Professor MarkAnthony Nze is provided below. The official copy is attached.
PRESS RELEASE
Professor MarkAnthony Ujunwa Nze Launches Public Petition on U.S. Visa Denials Affecting Academic Travel
New York, United States — February 2, 2026.
I, Professor MarkAnthony Nze, Founder and Academic Director of the New York Center for Advanced Research (NYCAR) and Editor-in-Chief of People & Polity Inc., hereby announce the commencement of a structured public and institutional engagement on recent patterns of U.S. visa denials affecting Nigerian scholars and academic professionals.
This initiative is born out of respect, not resentment. It does not seek to challenge U.S. immigration policy, weaken American institutions, or turn visa adjudication into a political battleground. On the contrary, it is a constructive, measured effort to encourage greater clarity, transparency, and fairness in the treatment of legitimate academic travel—particularly where scholars are invited, vetted, and supported by reputable institutions.
Statement of Purpose
Let me be unequivocal: this initiative is not an attack on the United States.
America gave me opportunity, voice, and a global academic platform. Its institutions have shaped my intellectual journey and professional life in profound ways. I remain deeply conscious of that debt and would never embark on any course of action designed to undermine the country that opened its doors to me.
After the publication of my book Beyond Chains, many years ago, which received international attention, my work as a journalist and academic has increasingly centered on ethical, fact-based reporting and principled inquiry. That commitment has not been cost-free; it has occasionally exposed my family and I to professional and personal risk. Nonetheless, I remain anchored in the values of academic integrity, ethical journalism, and disciplined, constructive engagement.
In recent months, I have received a growing number of reports from Nigerian scholars and professionals whose U.S. visa applications—often for conferences, research programs, and short-term academic visits—have been refused under circumstances that raise legitimate questions. These are individuals with strong academic records, clear institutional backing, and credible reasons for travel.
As a member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Management Institute (UK), I feel a professional obligation to respond not as an agitator, but as a mediator and institutional voice.
Context and Perspective
Nigeria’s professional footprint in the United States, particularly in healthcare and academia, is meaningful, though sometimes mischaracterized. International medical graduates make up about 23% of the U.S. physician workforce. While the largest source countries include the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, Nigeria stands out as a leading African contributor.
Available data show that, as of 2020, about 3,895 U.S.-licensed physicians received their primary medical training in Nigeria, representing roughly 1.5–2% of all international medical graduates (IMGs) in the country. This is a contribution grounded in rigorous training, compliance with demanding standards, and individual merit, not in sheer numbers.
Overall, IMGs constitute about 23% of the U.S. physician workforce, within a total of 1,082,187 licensed physicians reported by the Federation of State Medical Boards in its 2024 census. Among IMGs, the largest shares are graduates of medical schools in the Caribbean (23%), India (21%), Pakistan (6%), and the Philippines (3%). Nigeria’s footprint sits within this highly competitive field, emphasizing a serious, earned, and quality-driven presence in American healthcare.
Congressional Engagement and Public Petition
In response, I am preparing a formal request for congressional review to be submitted through the office of Senator Charles “Chuck” Ellis Schumer, Senior United States Senator from New York and Senate Minority Leader, who has previously engaged with this matter, as well as to the relevant congressional committees and appropriate U.S. government departments. This path reflects respect for institutional channels and a firm commitment to due process.
To complement this, People & Polity Inc. and Africa Digital News, New York will open a three-week window during which Nigerian professionals, academics, and researchers may formally register their support through a verified, strictly professional, and non-political petition hosted on Africa Digital News.
In conclusion, this initiative is not confrontational. It is not partisan.
It is a calm, principled appeal for clarity and due process, advanced in the spirit of academic collaboration, institutional trust, and responsibility to posterity.
Signed,
Professor MarkAnthony Nze, PhD, MCIM, MCIoJ, CMgr MCMI, MAAUP
Founder & Academic Director, New York Center for Advanced Research (NYCAR)
Editor-in-Chief, People & Polity Inc. / Africa Digital News, New York
Editorial Note:
This article represents the expert opinion and institutional perspective of Prof. MarkAnthony Nze on U.S. visa policies affecting scholars.
