BLUEPRINT
The British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr. Jonny Baxter and the Director of Visa, Status and Information Services at UKVI, Mr. Marc Owen, the Head-Sub-Saharan Africa for VFS Global, Mr. Alok Singhal launched the biggest Africa new Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Lagos.
This was contained in a statement by Senior Press & Public Affairs Officer Ndidiamaka Eze.
The Director of Visa, Status and Information Services at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Mr. Marc Owen, said: “The opening of our new VAC in Ikeja marks an exciting milestone for UKVI and VFS Global in the provision of a world-class UK visa service here in Nigeria and elsewhere across Africa.
“In June 2024, we processed more than 225k UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories and this new partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all applicants.”
British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Jonny Baxter, said: “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 deliver ever improving services for those applying for visas to the UK.”
Head-Sub-Saharan Africa, VFS Global, Mr. Alok Singhal added: “We are excited to embark on this new journey with UK Visas and Immigration here in Nigeria. We have enjoyed a long-standing partnership with UK Visas and Immigration since 2003 and look forward to now bringing travellers from Nigeria our best-in-class services.”
Mr Singhal emphasised that UK is a popular destination for travellers across Africa, with Nigeria being among the highest nationalities by volume for UK visit visas, accounting for 5% of the global total. In the African region, VFS Global will provide Visa Application Centres for the UK in 31 countries.
“UK visa customers can now choose from optional services offered by VFS Global, to provide enhanced comfort and convenience. These include document upload assistance, Prime Time for application submission outside of business hours, SMS notifications, document checking service, and courier return of the passport once a decision has been made. VFS Global’s Keep My Passport While Applying service allows customers to keep their passports once their application is submitted and biometrics have been enrolled. Customer will only need to re-submit their passport when a decision is reached.
He said customers in Abuja can also submit their UK visa applications from the comfort and safety of their home, office, or any other preferred location with our On Demand…
