UK Opens Africa’s Largest Visa Application Center in Lagos

UK Opens Africa’s Largest Visa Application Center in Lagos

  • The UK government has inaugurated its largest Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Africa on Wednesday.
  • The centre is located in Ikeja, Lagos, with the objective to enhance visa services for Nigerian travellers
  • The UK, over the years, has been a top destination for Nigerians looking to travel for business, relocate or studies

The United Kingdom has opened its largest Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Africa, situated in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, November 28.

According to a statement from the British High Commission in Lagos, operated by VFS Global, the facility will help improve visa services for Nigerians travelling to the UK.

UK embassy new visa centre
UK embassy management team at the newly opened visa Centre in Lagos Photo credit: ukembassy
Source: Getty Images

British Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter spoke on the significance of the UK-Nigeria relationship at the opening ceremony and expressed confidence in the new facility's capacity to improve visa application experiences, Punch reports.

Baxter said.

“I am delighted to witness the opening of this, the largest visa application centre in Africa. Nigeria remains one of the UK’s most important partners, and we hope that VFS delivers ever-improving services for those applying for visas to the UK."

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Also speaking, Marc Owen, Director of Visa, Status and Information Services at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), hailed the development as a milestone in providing world-class services.

Guardian reported that Owen revealed that over 225,000 UK visa applications from Nigerians were processed in the year to June 2024, underscoring the growing travel demand.

His words:

“The opening of our new VAC in Ikeja marks an exciting milestone for UKVI and VFS Global in the provision of a world-class UK visa service here in Nigeria and elsewhere across Africa.
“In the year to June 2024, we processed more than 225,000 UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories and this new partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all applicants."

UAE lists five must-have requirements for Nigerians to obtain visa

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigerians looking to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for work or visit can now apply for a visa.

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Immigration Launches Mobile App for Passport Applications Without Office Visits

The UAE government has adjusted the requirements, including visa fees and others.

The Federal Government has signed an agreement with the government of the United Arab Emirates to resume visa issuance.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Dave Ibemere avatar

Dave Ibemere (Senior Business Editor) Dave Ibemere is a senior business editor at Legit.ng. He is a financial journalist with over a decade of experience in print and online media. He also holds a Master's degree from the University of Lagos. He is a member of the African Academy for Open-Source Investigation (AAOSI), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and other media think tank groups. He previously worked with The Guardian, BusinessDay, and headed the business desk at Ripples Nigeria. Email: dave.ibemere@corp.legit.ng.

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