The United States Embassy in Nigeria yesterday opened the Abuja Consular Office with a call on Nigerians to avail themselves of a new window of opportunity for easy consular services.
The US. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Campbell, stated: �The goal of the consular section is to facilitate travel between Nigeria and the U.S. �to encourage Nigerians to work, to seek business opportunities, to study in and to visit the U.S. for whatever their own private purposes, and then return home to share their experiences and to help build their own country.�
According to him, the consular section is about facilitating people-to-people contact as well as a means of broadening bilateral relationship between the two countries.
�The United States and Nigeria are important partners in international diplomacy, African regional peacekeeping, promotion of democracy through the conduct of free and fair elections, alleviation of poverty through economic development, and energysecurity.�
He said over 1200 regular student visas were issued to Nigerians students in 2006 stressing that the hope of the US. government was that educational travel to the US from Nigeria would increase. �The U.S. values its international students and seeks talented youth and adults the world over to contribute to our multicultural student base.�
Ambassador Campbell assured that �We will strive to process all visa applications with efficiency and security, minimising the time and trouble needed apply for a visa.�