U.S. Embassy Suspends Visa Appointments in Abuja

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja announced the suspension of visa appointments, as disclosed in a post shared by the mission on Thursday.

The embassy clarified that while visa operations in Abuja are halted, the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos will continue its visa operations.

American citizen services remain available for emergency appointments. This suspension comes amid a broader security advisory issued by U.S. authorities, which included an order for the departure of non-emergency staff from the Abuja embassy and an updated travel advisory that blacklists 23 Nigerian states, including Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba, categorized under the highest warning level of "do not travel." The advisory cites increased risks of crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping, particularly in regions like Borno, Kogi, Yobe, and others.

The overall advisory rate for Nigeria remains at level 3, urging reconsideration of travel due to these threats.