NiDCOM Lied About 430,000 Visa Approvals for Nigerians – UK Govt

The British High Commission in Nigeria has refuted a claim made by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) that the UK government had approved 430,000 visa applications from Nigerians.

On August 7, NiDCOM, led by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, issued a statement asserting that UK High Commissioner Richard Montgomery had confirmed the successful approval of 430,000 visa applications by Nigerians. The commission’s press release quoted Montgomery as advising Nigerians to apply for visas independently and be cautious of agents.

NiDCOM widely circulated the claim, tagging the UK High Commission in Nigeria, presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale, and various media outlets.

However, on August 9, the UK High Commission in Nigeria took to Twitter to debunk NiDCOM’s figures, clarifying that only 255,000 visas of all types had been issued to Nigerians in the 12 months between April 2023 and March 2024.

“CORRECTION: @UKinNigeria issued 255,000 of all types of UK visas in the 12 months from April 2023-March 2024,” the UK High Commission tweeted in response to NiDCOM’s erroneous claim.

In a follow-up tweet on Saturday, Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa acknowledged the mistake, stating, “Very well noted. Error in figures corrected.” Despite this, the original press release containing the misleading information remains on NiDCOM’s platforms, and no updated press release with the corrected figures has been issued as of the time of this report.