The U.S. government on Thursday announced the closure of its embassy in Abuja for visa appointments. It said all cancelled appointments had been rescheduled.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after the American government commenced the evacuation of its staff and family members from Nigeria over deteriorating security. 

In a statement on its official X page, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja announced the closure of visa appointments and urged applicants to check their emails for updates on rescheduled appointments.

“U.S. Embassy Abuja is closed for visa appointments. Applicants should check their email for details on rescheduled appointments,” the statement reads.

While its Abuja office has closed visa applications, the U.S. Embassy said “Visa operations at U.S. Consulate General Lagos continue. American citizen services are available in emergencies and by appointment.”

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja did not state reasons for closing visa appointments. However, it came a few hours after the American government announced it had begun evacuating its staff from Nigeria due to worsening security conditions.

In a statement posted on social media by the U.S. Department of State on Wednesday, Washington stated that “Nigeria: On April 8, 2026, the Department of State authorised non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave U.S. Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation. 

“The overall Travel Advisory for Nigeria is Level 3: Reconsider Travel,” the travel advisory said.

Amid lingering insecurity, Nigeria ranked fourth in the global terrorism index released on March 19, 2026, by the Institute for Economics & Peace, recording a 46 per cent increase in deaths from terrorism in 2025 under President Bola Tinubu.