UK High Commission Debunks NiDCOM Boss’s Claim Of Approving 430,000 Visas In 1 Year

The British High Commission in Nigeria has debunked a claim circulated by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), led by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, that the United Kingdom government had approved approximately 430,000 visa applications from Nigerians.

The High Commission clarified that the number of visas issued was significantly lower.

On August 7, NiDCOM released a statement claiming that the UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, had informed them that around 430,000 Nigerian visa applications had been approved this year.

The statement, widely circulated and tagged to the UK High Commission in Nigeria, presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale, and various media outlets, suggested a record number of successful visa applications.

NiDCOM’s press release quoted High Commissioner Montgomery advising Nigerian visa applicants to apply independently and be wary of agents while emphasising the high success rate of Nigerian visa applications.

However, on August 9, the UK High Commission in Nigeria publicly corrected NiDCOM’s figures, stating that only 255,000 visas of all types were issued to Nigerians over 12 months from April 2023 to March 2024.

In a post addressing NiDCOM’s claim, the High Commission clarified the accurate number, debunking the inflated figure circulated by Dabiri-Erewa’s office.

“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 post.

Following the High Commission’s correction, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa acknowledged the error in her office’s figures in a tweet on Saturday, stating, “Very well noted. Error in figures corrected.”

Despite this admission, NiDCOM has yet to retract the misleading press release or publish a new one reflecting the accurate figures when filing this report.

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