The United States State Department has announced plans to significantly reduce the number of its embassies and consulates in Africa that process visas for foreigners wishing to travel to the United States. According to three U.S. officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press, nearly 50 U.S. diplomatic missions currently handling visa applications will be cut to just 20 in the coming weeks. The change is expected to take effect in June, though no specific date has been set, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
List of Retained Hubs
The memo outlines the 20 hubs that will remain open for all visa processing: Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti, Djibouti; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda; Kinshasa, Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Lome, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaounde, Cameroon.
Impact on Nigeria
This decision means that the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, will cease visa-processing operations, while the consulate in Lagos will continue to serve as a regional hub. The move is part of a broader strategy to streamline diplomatic resources across the continent.
