The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has temporarily suspended its operations until further notice, possibly due to a recent fire incident at the commission. The announcement of the suspension was made via the High Commission’s official X account (formerly Twitter) on Monday night.
This suspension means that visa and immigration services for those seeking to visit or emigrate to Canada will not be available until operations resume. Additionally, services to Canadians residing in Nigeria, as well as those in Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe, will be temporarily unavailable.
The official statement from the High Commission read, “The High Commission of Canada to #Nigeria, in #Abuja, has temporarily suspended operations until further notice. For consular assistance, contact our 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre.”
The decision to suspend operations may be related to a recent fire incident at the High Commission’s premises. However, the exact cause of the suspension has not been confirmed.
Furthermore, the Government of Canada, in a travel advisory updated on November 6, 2023, cautioned its citizens against non-essential travel to Nigeria, including Abuja, citing the unpredictable security situation, the significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks, and kidnappings.
Canada also issued warnings to its citizens about specific Nigerian states, including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Plateau, Kogi, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Yobe, and the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, and Rivers (except for Rivers’ capital city, Port Harcourt, where non-essential travel is advised against) due to the risks of terrorism, armed attacks, kidnapping, inter-communal, and sectarian violence.
Despite attempts to reach an official at the Canadian High Commission for comment, there has been no response to inquiries regarding the suspension of operations and the recent travel advisory. The situation remains under ongoing scrutiny, with many Canadians and individuals seeking services from the High Commission awaiting updates on when operations will resume.