The United Kingdom has opened Africa’s largest visa application centre in Lagos State, through its new commercial partner, VFS Global.
The centre, which commenced operations on November 19, 2024, allows Nigerian residents planning to travel to the UK to schedule appointments and submit their visa applications at state-of-the-art Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Abuja, Ikeja (Lagos), and Victoria Island (Lagos).
British Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter expressed his excitement about the new development, saying, “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 delivers ever-improving services for those applying for visas to the UK.”
Marc Owen, Director of Visa, Status and Information Services at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), called the opening an important milestone. “The opening of our new VAC in Ikeja marks an exciting milestone for UKVI and VFS Global in providing a world-class UK visa service here in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa.
In the year to June 2024, we processed over 225,000 UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories, and this new partnership shows our commitment to making visa services accessible and efficient for all applicants.”
Alok Singhal, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, noted that the move highlights the enduring relationship between Nigeria and the UK.
“We are excited to embark on this new journey with UK Visas and Immigration here in Nigeria,” he said.
“Since 2003, we have had a long-standing partnership with UKVI and look forward to bringing the best-in-class services to Nigerian travellers.”
