US Embassy, Consulate Resume Full Operations in Nigeria

The US Embassy in Abuja and the US Consulate General in Lagos have fully resumed operations, including American citizen services and visa processing, following the conclusion of a 43-day partial government shutdown in the United States.

The announcement comes as federal agencies across the US begin reopening, marking the end of the longest shutdown in American history.

In a post on its official X handle on Friday, the US Embassy in Nigeria confirmed that all services are now proceeding on schedule, alleviating disruptions that had affected consular functions during the funding impasse.

“End of Lapse of Appropriations. US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria have resumed full operations. American citizen services and visa services are proceeding as scheduled,” the post stated.

The shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, resulted from a congressional stalemate over federal funding, affecting non-essential government operations and leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed or working without pay.

The US Embassy had previously posted on X that, due to the lapse in appropriations, its social media account would not be updated regularly until full operations resumed.

“At this time, scheduled passport and visa transit services in the United States and at US Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits.

“We will not update this account until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information,” it said on October 1.

President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan funding bill late Wednesday, extending government funding through January 30, 2026, and including full-year appropriations for key sectors.

The Republican-controlled House approved the bill earlier the same day, by a vote of 222 to 209, with six Democrats joining Republicans.

The package had passed the Senate two days earlier by a 60-40 vote, with seven Democrats and one independent senator siding with Republicans.

The legislation also provided stopgap measures for other agencies, averting further immediate crises.

For US citizens and visa applicants in Nigeria, the resumption means a return to normalcy.

During the shutdown, routine services such as passport renewals, notarial services, and non-immigrant visa interviews were limited or postponed, creating backlogs.

Why Did the US Government Shut Down?

In the US system, both chambers of Congress must approve a spending plan for the president to sign into law.

The House was able to pass a temporary funding bill to prevent a shutdown, but it could not clear the Senate due to Democratic opposition.

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Although Republicans controlled both the House of Representatives and the Senate, they initially fell seven votes short of the 60 needed in the Senate to pass the spending bill.

Their main demand was that the legislation include an extension of expiring tax credits that make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans.

As a result, the US government shut down on October 1 for the first time in nearly seven years.