The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The US Mission in Nigeria announced the development on Sunday via its official X handle, stating that both diplomatic facilities would suspend routine operations for the day to mark the American federal holiday.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed annually on the third Monday of January in honour of the late civil rights icon, renowned for his leadership in the struggle for racial equality through non-violent resistance.
The holiday was formally established on November 2, 1983, after then President Ronald Reagan signed it into law. It was first observed on January 20, 1986, close to Dr King’s birthday on January 15.
As a result of the closure, visa and other consular services will be temporarily unavailable to Nigerians and other residents requiring routine diplomatic assistance.
However, the US Mission clarified that emergency services for American citizens would remain accessible through designated channels.
Normal operations at both the Abuja embassy and the Lagos consulate are expected to resume on Tuesday, January 20.
