US embassy in Nigeria resumes full operations as government shutdown ends

The United States embassy and consulate in Nigeria have resumed full operations following the reopening of the American government.

On October 1, when the US government shut down, embassies and consulates across the world, including in Nigeria, announced that they would reduce public communications.

The diplomatic missions particularly said they would not post routine updates “until full operations resume,” except for urgent safety and security information.

After a 43-day shutdown, US President Donald Trump signed a spending bill on Wednesday to reopen the government.

It was the longest such closure in the country’s history.

In a statement on Friday, the US embassy in Nigeria notified visa applicants and relevant service users that it had resumed full operations.

“American citizen services and visa services are proceeding as scheduled,” the embassy said.

Trump signed the budget after the house of representatives voted 222-209 to approve it, two days after the senate narrowly approved the same package.

However, the short-term budget only provides funding to keep the government open until January 30, when lawmakers will once again need to find a way to fund the government.

This means there is a possibility of the US government shutting down again in January if Democrats and Republicans fail to reach an agreement.