• America shuts Abuja Embassy, Lagos Consulate Office
United States’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has announced that bilateral trade between the two countries has soared to about $13 billion since last year.
Mills disclosed this at a dinner organised by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria to mark the country’s 249th independence anniversary on Wednesday night in Abuja.
He said the spiralling trade relations between the two nations fostered not only economic opportunities for Nigerians but also created jobs for Americans and Nigerians alike.
“I am very proud that last year our trade with Nigeria soared to nearly $13 billion. That has fostered economic opportunities for Nigerians and created jobs for Americans and Nigerians alike.
“By stimulating trade, we are building a future where both nations are going to thrive as commercial partners,” he said. The envoy said his country’s partnership with Nigeria would continue to evolve, adding that the partnership was being anchored on a commitment to shared prosperity.
He explained that this commitment entailed increasing commerce and trade between the US and Nigeria and increasing opportunities for workers in both countries.
Pointing to the significant contributions of Nigerians living in the U.S., he noted that the Nigerian Diaspora, estimated at over 750,000 people, is the largest African Diaspora community in America. Many of them are active in sectors such as healthcare, finance and technology, with some having co-founded successful companies after studying in US universities.
Mills said the event was to celebrate the U.S. shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law and bid farewell to the departing staff of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to him, their tireless efforts transformed lives, adding that they delivered critical health and education programmes and empowered Nigerians with hope and opportunity to make the world a better place.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, noted that Nigeria and the U.S. had weathered diverse challenges in their respective journeys of nationhood, adding that both countries shared strong bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed today, in observance of U.S. Independence Day, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced yesterday.
The closure marks the annual commemoration of the United States’ declaration of independence from British rule in 1776, a significant national holiday celebrated with patriotic events, fireworks, and public gatherings across the US.
The U.S. Mission Nigeria shared the announcement via its official X account, stating: “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2025, in observance of the U.S. Independence Day.”
The statement did not specify whether visa services, passport processing, or other consular activities would be affected, but such closures typically halt non-emergency operations, with services resuming the following business day, Monday, July 7, 2025.
