The United States’ Diversity Visa Lottery program will no longer be open to Nigerians, the U.S. Department of State has said.

A statement released by the Department on Sunday, listed Nigeria as one of the countries barred from participating in the upcoming DV-2015

According to the statement, the disqualification from the program is because “more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years.”

“For DV-2015, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories,and Vietnam”.

It added that “Changes in eligibility this year: For DV-2015, natives of Nigeria are no longer eligible”. However, since entries are based on country of birth, Nigerians born in eligible countries can still apply.

Many other African countries, however, remain eligible to participate in the program.

The department listed African countries that are eligible for the DV-2015 to include people from Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Egypt*, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles and Sierra Leone.

Entries for the DV-2015 opens on October 1 and closes on November 2.

Nigerians should just stay in the country to develop Nigeria

E no concern me cos I no dey play am before.