WASHINGTON, United States – The United States Department of State will discontinue routine visa services at the United States Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, and 24 other diplomatic posts across Africa effective August 1, 2026. Okay News reports that the United States Department of State stated the realignment to regional hubs is part of efforts aimed at strengthening national security, cutting government waste, and ensuring more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards. Routine visa services will continue at 20 hub locations, including the United States Consulate General in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar-Es-Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé. The policy does not affect currently valid United States visas and does not change the operating status of any embassy or consulate. Visa suspensions designated by Presidential Proclamation 10998, visa bond requirements, and immigrant visa pauses for certain nationalities remain in place.