UK earns over $34m from 225,000 applications in Nigeria in 12 months

The United Kingdom (UK) earned more than $34 million from the 225,000 Nigerian applications processed between June 2023 and June 2024.

This means that the UK generated over N68 billion from processing visa applications submitted by Nigerians.

Marc Owen, director of visa, status, and information Slservices at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), disclosed this information during the inauguration of Africa’s largest UK visa application centre (VAC) in Lagos on Thursday.

“In the year to 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,” Owen said.

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“I’m delighted to be here in person as we celebrate this important moment together with our customers and partners.”

Although the director did not clarify which visa categories were the most in terms of demand, the standard six-month UK visitor visa currently costs $150.

It’s worth noting that visa application fees are non-refundable, regardless of whether the application is approved or denied.

Nigeria has higher rejection rates

Recent data from the British government indicate that Nigeria was among the top five countries experiencing a rise in study visa rejection rates during the second half of 2023.

In Q4 2022, only one in 31 Nigerian applicants was denied a study visa.  By Q2 2023, however, this figure had risen sharply, with approximately one in eight applications rejected.

Other nations with similarly high rejection rates include Vietnam, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, though their application volumes were lower. India was the only country with more declined applications than Nigeria.

Read also: UK opens Africa’s largest visa application centre in Lagos

The data also revealed a significant drop in visa approvals for Nigerian applicants, down by 63% compared to the last quarter of 2022. This surge in rejections reflects the UK government’s stricter immigration policies, which have led to tighter controls on visa applications.