US shuts Abuja embassy over protest fears, reschedules visa appointments

The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Abuja due to potential protests in the area.

The development was confirmed in a notice shared on the Mission’s official X page on Thursday, informing the public about the temporary shutdown of routine operations.

“Due to the potential for protests in Abuja, the U.S. Embassy will be closed for routine business until Monday, March 9, 2026.”

According to the notice, several scheduled appointments have been affected by the closure, including visa and American citizen services.

The Mission explained that appointments earlier scheduled for March 4 and March 5 would be moved to next week.

“Visa appointments originally scheduled for March 4 and 5, as well as American Citizen Services (ACS) appointments scheduled for March 5, have been rescheduled to next week.

Visa applicants: Please check your email or AVITs account for your new appointment date. ACS applicants: Please check your email for your new appointment date.”

The Mission further advised visa applicants who do not receive a new appointment date to seek help through the Visa Navigator platform.

It also urged members of the public to keep monitoring its official website and social media pages for further updates regarding the situation.