The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Abuja for routine business over concerns about possible protests in the nation’s capital.
In a notice shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, the mission said the embassy would remain closed for routine activities until Monday, March 9, 2026.
The statement read, “Due to the potential for protests in Abuja, the U.S. Embassy will be closed for routine business until Monday, March 9, 2026.
“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.”
The mission advised visa applicants to check their email or AVITs account for new appointment dates, while applicants for American Citizen Services were asked to check their email for rescheduled appointments.
“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 notice stated.
It also instructed visa applicants who do not receive new appointments to seek assistance through the Visa Navigator platform and urged members of the public to monitor its official website and social media platforms for further updates.
The development follows an earlier report that the U.S. Embassy had cancelled visa appointments scheduled for March 4 due to security concerns linked to possible demonstrations in Abuja amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
The closure also comes after heavy deployment of security agencies across Abuja on Wednesday over a possible protest by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
Similar demonstrations had earlier been reported in Niger, Sokoto, Kaduna, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe and Lagos states.
The IMN reportedly described the protests as a peaceful show of solidarity with Iran following reports of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in airstrikes allegedly carried out by the United States and Israel.
