US to reduce African visa processing centers to 20 hubs
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The United States Department of State plans to reduce its visa processing operations in Africa, consolidating them from nearly 50 embassies and consulates to 20 designated hubs. This restructuring, expected to take effect in June, will centralize both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications. The move aligns with the Trump administration's broader immigration policy to tighten visa issuance and address overstays. While consular sections in non-hub countries will remain open, their functions will be limited to services like assisting American citizens, emergency support, and diplomatic visa processing. The State Department stated this evaluation of overseas operations aims to deploy taxpayer resources efficiently and maintain rigorous security screening. This change will likely require applicants from non-hub countries to travel to the designated locations, potentially increasing costs and logistical challenges. The 20 hubs include Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lom茅, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaound茅. This marks a significant reduction in US visa processing access across Africa.
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Must ReadPresident Bola Tinubu has signed the Presidential Executive Order on Virtual Assets Coordination, 2026, establishing a new supervisory architecture to harmonize virtual asset regulation in Nigeria. The order, effective immediately, aims to close regulatory gaps exploited by fraudulent operators and position the country to benefit from digital economy innovation. It addresses a fragmented regulatory environment where virtual assets blur traditional boundaries, leading to risks like money laundering, terrorism financing, and fraud. The order creates a Virtual Asset Council, chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, with the Nigeria Revenue Service and the Securities and Exchange Commission SEC as vice-chairs. This council, which also includes the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the Office of the National Security Adviser, will provide policy direction and work with the Attorney-General of the Federation to develop a harmonized legal framework. A Virtual Asset Office, with its secretariat at the CBN, will handle day-to-day coordination. The order clarifies that it does not create a new regulator but coordinates existing agencies' work. Activities involving securities will be registered by the SEC, while payment, settlement, custody, and related services for non-security virtual assets will be registered by the CBN. The CBN is also proceeding with a regulatory sandbox for virtual assets, and the Nigeria Revenue Service will release a specific tax policy for the sector.
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