The United States announces it will discontinue visa services at its embassy in Abuja and at 24 other locations across Africa, effective August 1, 2026. Nigerian outlets report that the U.S. Department of State says the change is part of a shift toward regional processing hubs. The announcement is framed as an effort to strengthen national security by standardizing and improving the consistency of visa screening, vetting, and adjudication. The State Department statement also says it prioritizes the safety and security of Americans and will continue to provide consular assistance at diplomatic posts around the world, even as routine visa processing is stopped in the listed locations. The reports include references to the U.S. moving services from multiple individual posts to fewer hubs for visa operations across the continent. The articles also publish or refer to a full list of affected African cities. The policy takes effect on the same date—August 1, 2026—across the cited missions.