UK opens biggest Africa visa application centre in Lagos

The United Kingdom’s biggest visa application centre in Africa has opened in Lagos through the UK’s new commercial partner, VFS Global.

A statement by the UK High Commission in Nigeria on Wednesday said residents of Nigeria travelling to the UK can now book appointments to submit their visa applications through VFS Global’s new state-of-the-art Visa Application Centres (VAC) located in Abuja, Ikeja (Lagos) and Victoria Island (Lagos) which have commenced operations since 19 November.

British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Jonny 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 deliver ever-improving services for those applying for visas to the UK.”

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Director of Visa, Status and Information Services at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Mr Marc Owen, said: “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 225000 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.”

The UK is a popular destination for travellers across Africa, with Nigeria being among the highest nationalities by volume for UK visit visas, accounting for 5% of the global total.