UKVI Director Visits Nigeria, Emphasises Visa Efficiency, Fraud Prevention

Abuja/Lagos, Nigeria – The Director of United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Mr. Marc Owen, concluded his first official visit to Nigeria this week, highlighting the country’s importance to the UK’s global visa operations and emphasising collaboration to improve service delivery and combat visa fraud.

Nigeria, one of the UK’s largest visa markets, was the focus of Mr. Owen’s trip, during which he met with numerous key stakeholders in Abuja and Lagos.

A statement released by the British High Commission confirmed the visit’s aim to strengthen relationships and ensure efficient, customer-focused visa services.

In Abuja, Mr. Owen engaged with Ambassador Asari E. Allotey at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussing key UK visa developments, including the global eVisa rollout and maintaining the integrity of the UK’s immigration system.

He also met with officials from the National Population Commission (NPC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), stressing the mutual benefits of digitizing vital records like birth and death certificates and TB test results.

This digitalisation, he argued, would improve record storage, transmission, and verification. A visit to the British Council saw Mr. Owen engage with students and university agents.

Lagos engagements included meetings with the UK Joint Border Task Force (JBTF) and business leaders.

A visit to the newly opened UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Ikeja, operated by VFS Global, allowed Mr. Owen to assess service delivery and ensure adherence to high standards of convenience and efficiency.

Throughout his visit, Mr. Owen addressed the significant challenge of visa fraud and the activities of fraudulent travel agents.

He urged visa applicants to remain vigilant and use only official UKVI channels, emphasizing this as crucial for applicant safety and maintaining trust in the visa process.

The visit signals a renewed commitment to UK-Nigeria collaboration on visa matters, promising increased engagement and positive outcomes for both countries.

The emphasis on digitalisation and fraud prevention suggests a strategic approach to modernizing visa services and safeguarding the integrity of the UK’s immigration system.