The United States has unveiled plans to significantly reduce the number of embassies and consulates in Africa that handle visa processing for foreign travellers.
It was gathered that the US State Department intends to scale down the current network of nearly 50 visa-processing missions across Africa to just 20 locations in the coming weeks.
The report, based on officials and an internal memo, stated that the directive was communicated to US diplomats, including consular chiefs, during a conference call last Friday.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio reportedly approved the decision last week, according to the officials and the memo.
Under the new arrangement, the 20 designated visa-processing hubs will include Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Accra (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Djibouti (Djibouti), Kampala (Uganda), Kigali (Rwanda), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Lagos (Nigeria), Lomé (Togo), Luanda (Angola), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Monrovia (Liberia), Nairobi (Kenya), Port Louis (Mauritius), Praia (Cape Verde), and Yaoundé (Cameroon).
Although the exact implementation date has not been officially confirmed, the changes are expected to take effect in June.
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The move comes months after the Trump administration reportedly recalled ambassadors from more than two dozen countries, with Africa among the most affected regions.
It also coincides with ongoing US immigration restrictions, including tighter visa policies and increased financial requirements for some applicants. In some cases, African nationals, including Nigerians, may be required to pay visa bonds of up to $15,000 for B1/B2 applications.
Several African countries are also already affected by partial US travel restrictions, further tightening mobility for travellers.
The planned consolidation is expected to impact visa applicants across the continent, who may now need to travel to one of the 20 approved hubs, potentially increasing cost and logistical challenges.
However, consular sections in non-hub countries will remain operational, though with limited services. These will include assistance for US citizens, passport renewals, emergency consular support, select national interest cases, and diplomatic visa processing.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
