VFS Global is proud to announce that residents of Nigeria, travelling to the UK can now book appointments to submit their visa applications through VFS Global’s new state-of-the-art Visa Application Centres (VAC) located in Ikeja (Lagos).

Commenting at the launch of the new UK Visa Application Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, Mr. Marc Owen, Director of Visa, Status and Information Services at UKVI, said: “The opening of our new VAC in Ikeja marks an exciting milestone for UKVI and VFS Global in the provision of a world-class UK visa service here in Nigeria and elsewhere across Africa.”

“In June 2024, we processed more than 225k UK visas for Nigerian nationals across all categories and this new partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all applicants.”

British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Jonny Baxter, said: “I am delighted to witness the opening of this, the largest visa application centre in Africa. Nigeria remains one of the UK’s most important partners, and we hope that VFS deliver ever improving services for those applying for visas to the UK.”

Head-Sub-Saharan Africa, VFS Global, Mr. Alok Singhal added: “We are excited to embark on this new journey with UK Visas and Immigration here in Nigeria. We have enjoyed a long-standing partnership with UK Visas and Immigration since 2003 and look forward to now bringing travellers from Nigeria our best-in-class services.”

Mr Singhal emphasised that UK is a popular destination for travellers across Africa, with Nigeria being among the highest nationalities by volume for UK visit visas, accounting for 5% of the global total. In the African region, VFS Global will provide Visa Application Centres for the UK in 31 countries.

“UK visa customers can now choose from optional services offered by VFS Global, to provide enhanced comfort and convenience. These include document upload assistance, Prime Time for application submission outside of business hours, SMS notifications, document checking service, and courier return of the passport once a decision has been made. VFS Global’s Keep My Passport While Applying service allows customers to keep their passports once their application is submitted and biometrics have been enrolled. Customer will only need to re-submit their passport when a decision is reached

He said customers in Abuja can also submit their UK visa applications from the comfort and safety of their home, office, or any other preferred location with our On Demand Mobile Visa service.

“In addition, their Premium Lounge service offers a personalised submission experience with dedicated staff members and these services are completely optional and have no bearing on the processing timeline and outcomes of visa applications.

“As a partner to the UK Visas and Immigration since 2003, VFS Global offered visa services in 58 countries before the new contract and has now been awarded the contract to provide UK visa services in 142 countries worldwide,” he stressed.

Nigerian born self-acclaimed pastor, Tobi Adegboyega whose church was shut down in the United Kingdom over an alleged £1.87 million fraud has lost his fight against deportation, despite claiming it would breach his human rights.

An immigration tribunal has ruled that the 44-year-old who is a cousin should be deported back to his country, Nigeria after investigations exposed the misuse of funds by his church.

Adegboyega was head of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, SPAC Nation or SPAC Nation Ministries, a controversial church shut down after failing to properly account for more than £1.87 million of outgoings and operating with a lack of transparency.

He claimed deportation would breach his right under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) to a family life – having married a British woman.

He also said the attempt to remove him by the Home Office failed to take account of his community work with SPAC.

His legal team describe his as a charismatic community leader of a large, well-organised church who had intervened in the lives of many hundreds of young people, predominantly from the black communities in London, to lead them away from trouble.

They claim his work had been lauded by politicians including former prime minister, Boris Johnson and senior figures within the Metropolitan Police.

He said that without his personal presence in London, projects that he had masterminded would fall apart or reduce in size.

However, the tribunal was told the Home Office are convinced all is not as it seems.

“Various manifestations of Adegboyega’s church have been closed down, by either the Charity Commission or the High Court, because of concerns over its finances and lack of transparency,” according to the judgment.

“Former members of the church have alleged that it is a cult, in which impoverished young people are encouraged to do anything they can to donate money, including taking out large loans, committing benefit fraud and even selling their own blood.

“It is alleged that the church leadership lead lavish lifestyles and there have, it is said, been instances of abuse. The Home Office’s case before us was that all of this needs to be taken into account when evaluating whether Adegboyega is in fact of real value to the UK.”

Adegboyega has lived in the UK unlawfully since overstaying on a visitor’s visa that allowed him to enter Britain in 2005. In 2019, he applied for leave to remain under ECHR’s right to a family life. His application was initially dismissed by a first-tier immigration tribunal before he appealed.

In the tribunal, he maintained no one had ever faced criminal charges over his church’s finances, that many of the attacks on him and SPAC Nation were politically motivated and that claims it was a cult were unfounded.

However, the tribunal was told the Charity Commission concluded there had been serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity which was sustained over a substantial period of time.

The tribunal also found Adegboyega’s evidence to be hyperbolic in many instances and had sought to grossly inflate his influence.

“We find it to be implausible that he has the time to undertake all of this work personally,” it said.

The tribunal concluded, “We are not satisfied that the good work that SPAC Nation undertakes generally would collapse or even significantly suffer should the Appellant be required to leave the UK.

“Weighing all of the foregoing in the balance we conclude that the decision to refuse leave to remain was wholly proportionate.

“Adegboyega seeks to rely on family and private life relationships, all of which have been established whilst he was in the UK unlawfully, and which would survive his return to Nigeria.

“The interference would therefore be limited, and lawful in all the circumstances.”