UK Expands Centres As Nigeria Accounts For 6% Of Global Visa Demand

Nigeria accounted for six percent of all global UK visit visas in 2024, the United Kingdom’s Home Office has revealed, showing the country’s growing interest in travel to Britain. UK Minister of State at the Home Office, David Hanson, disclosed the figure at the launch of two new Premium Visa Application Centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt operated by VFS Global. “In 2024, we received more than 230,000 visa applications from Nigerian nationals across all visa categories,” Hanson said, describing Nigeria as one of the top four source countries for UK visas. The move to open more centres, Hanson said, reflects the strong UK-Nigeria relationship and aims to provide more accessible and efficient services for visa applicants in the South-East and South-South regions. “Our customers will continue to enjoy the same comfort, convenience, and best-in-class services at these locations that they do at our Visa Application Centres in Abuja and Lagos,” he said. Alok Singhal, head of Sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, noted that the new centres complement existing facilities in Abuja, Ikeja and Victoria Island. “Applicants can now enjoy premium services including faster processing, application status updates, passport courier return, and the option to retain their passports during processing,” Singhal said. The expanded access comes as part of efforts to manage the rising volume of outbound Nigerian travellers and improve the visa application experience ahead of the summer travel season.