The United Kingdom (UK) has decided to close its visa application centres in Lagos on Monday, March 20, 2023, due to safety concerns following the 2023 gubernatorial election.
The governorship elections are to take place on, Saturday, March 18, 2023.
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According to Punch, in a statement on Friday, March 17, 2023, the UK stated the affected centres are in Ikeja and Victoria Island, further noting that customers would not be able to collect their passports on the date of closure.
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The statement reads:
“The Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Ikeja and Victoria Island will be closed Monday 20th March. This is to protect the safety of customers and staff. There are no VAC appointments booked on this date 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. Customers should not attend the VAC unless they have been contacted by TLS to do so. The British High Commission offices in Nigeria are not involved in visa decision making and do not hold passports and so are unable to assist.”
