The British High Commission in Nigeria has refuted a claim made by Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) that approximately 430,000 visa applications by Nigerians had been approved by the UK government.
On August 7, NiDCOM reported that UK High Commissioner Richard Montgomery stated 430,000 visa applications from Nigerians had been successful this year. A press release from the commission quoted Montgomery and advised Nigerians to apply for visas independently and be cautious of agents.
The news was widely circulated by NiDCOM, tagging the UK High Commission in Nigeria, presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale, and various media outlets.
However, on August 9, the UK High Commission debunked NiDCOM’s statement, clarifying in a tweet that only 255,000 visas were issued over the past 12 months.
“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 earlier claim.
In a follow-up tweet on Saturday, Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa acknowledged the mistake, saying, “Very well noted. Error in figures corrected.” Despite this acknowledgment, the misleading press release from her office remains online, and no updated release with the correct information has been issued as of this report.
