The Global Director of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Marc Owen, concluded his first official visit to Nigeria this week, underscoring the country’s strategic importance as one of the UK’s largest visa markets.
According to a statement by Onyinye Madu, Senior Communications & Public Diplomacy Officer at the British High Commission, the visit aimed to enhance cooperation between Nigeria and the UK in migration management, digitization of vital records, and the delivery of efficient visa services.
In Abuja, Owen met with Ambassador Asari E. Allotey, Director of Legal, Migration, and Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he discussed the UK’s global eVisa rollout and measures to maintain the integrity of the UK’s immigration system. He also engaged with Makama Taala, Vital Registration Lead at the National Population Commission (NPC), and Dr. Penelope Miremba, Migration Health Officer at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), to explore collaborative opportunities in digitizing birth, death, and tuberculosis test records.
Owen also toured the British Council’s English language test centre and interacted with student counsellors and UK university agents to assess and improve the student visa application process.
In Lagos, he met with members of the UK Joint Border Task Force (JBTF) and key business leaders. Owen also visited the newly inaugurated UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Ikeja, operated by VFS Global, to evaluate service delivery and ensure adherence to high standards of convenience and efficiency.
Throughout his visit, Owen highlighted the ongoing challenges of visa fraud and cautioned applicants to use only official UKVI channels to protect themselves from fraudulent agents. His visit marks a significant step in strengthening UK-Nigeria relations, with a commitment to greater collaboration and improved outcomes in immigration services.
