US TO STOP ROUTINE VISA PROCESSING AT ABUJA EMBASSY, 24 OTHER AFRICAN MISSIONS
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By; Sunmola Ganiyat
The United States has announced plans to discontinue routine visa processing at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions across Africa from August 1, 2026.
The move is part of a broader restructuring of the country’s overseas consular operations aimed at centralising routine visa services in regional processing hubs.
According to the US Department of State, the restructuring is intended to strengthen national security, reduce government spending and promote greater consistency in visa screening, vetting and adjudication.
The department said the policy aligns with the Donald Trump administration’s priority of placing US interests and national security at the centre of its foreign operations.
It explained that the United States regularly reviews its overseas operations to ensure resources and operational capacity are aligned with the country’s national interests.
Other affected diplomatic missions are located in Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou and Windhoek.
However, the State Department clarified that the policy affects only routine visa processing and does not mean the closure or suspension of operations at the affected embassies and consulates.
The diplomatic missions will continue to provide other consular services and perform their regular functions on behalf of the United States.
The department also assured travellers that visas already issued under the existing system would remain valid.
Under the new arrangement, applicants in the affected countries will be expected to access routine visa services through designated regional processing hubs.
The US government said the restructuring was part of its periodic review of global diplomatic operations to streamline consular services and ensure resources are deployed more efficiently.
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