UK high commission in Nigeria closes visa application centres due to impending elections

BRITAIN'S high commission in Nigeria has announced that its visa application centres in Abuja and Lagos will be closed on Friday and Monday next week due to the impending general elections scheduled to take place on February 25.

On February 25, Nigerians go to the polls to elect a new president with the main frontrunners being former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Kano State governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party. After the presidential poll on February 25, there shall be National Assembly, gubernatorial and state houses of assemblies elections up until March 11.

According to UK Visas and Immigration in Nigeria, customers can purchase the Keep My Passport in order to retain their passport during the period of closure. Their notice read: “The Visa Application Centres in Abuja, Ikeja and Victoria Island will be closed on Friday, February 24 and Monday, February 27.

“No visa application centres (Vac) appointments will be booked on these days and customers will not be able to access the Vac to collect documents/passports. Customers have the option to purchase the Keep My Passport and courier return services in advance of the Vac closure, in order to retain their passport during the period of closure.

“UKVI will continue to make decisions on all visa applications. Priority visa services remain available but super priority visa services will be suspended on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd because the next working day opening is not until Tuesday 28th."