The United States Embassy in Abuja has cancelled all visa appointments, advising applicants to check their emails for information on rescheduled dates.
The notice, posted on the mission’s official X account on Thursday, stated that visa services at the Abuja embassy have been temporarily suspended.
“U.S. Embassy Abuja is closed for visa appointments. Applicants should check their email for details on rescheduled appointments,” the statement read.
The embassy, however, noted that visa operations at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos remain ongoing, while emergency American citizen services in Abuja will continue on an appointment basis.
The development comes shortly after the U.S. Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families from the Abuja embassy, citing worsening security conditions in Nigeria.
In a revised travel advisory that has generated reactions online, the Department urged American citizens to reconsider traveling to Nigeria due to concerns over crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest.
Nigeria is currently listed under a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” advisory, with some states placed under the stricter “Level 4: Do Not Travel” category.
States such as Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and northern Adamawa were flagged for terrorism, crime, and kidnapping risks. Others, including Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, were also identified as high-risk areas due to unrest and insecurity.
Reacting to the advisory, the federal government described the U.S. assessment as “unbalanced,” urging foreign partners to provide more accurate and current evaluations of Nigeria’s security situation
