By Emmanuel Onyedika
The United States government has announced it will discontinue routine visa services in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic posts across Africa effective August 1, 2026.
According to the US Department of State, the decision is part of a broader restructuring of overseas operations aimed at enhancing national security and reducing operational costs. In a statement, the department explained that the move represents a “realignment to regional hubs” designed to ensure consistent standards in visa screening, vetting, and adjudication.
The policy aligns with President Donald Trump’s administration priority of safeguarding American security and optimising government resources. “The Department of State is constantly evaluating its overseas operations to advance America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible. The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” the statement read.
The department assured that consular services for US citizens will remain available at all missions worldwide. While embassies and consulates in the affected locations will remain open, they will no longer provide routine visa services.
Aside from Abuja, other affected African cities include Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, and Windhoek.
Under the new arrangement, routine visa services will continue at designated regional hubs. For Nigerians, processing will move to the US Consulate in Lagos. Other hubs include Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé.
The State Department clarified that the new policy will not affect visas already issued and still valid, noting that similar realignments have previously been implemented in parts of Africa and Europe. Travellers from affected cities will be redirected to the regional centres for visa processing from August 1, 2026.