The United States Embassy in Abuja and the United States Consulate General in Lagos are closed today, Monday, 16 February 2026, in observance of Presidents’ Day, a federal holiday in the United States. The missions announced the closure in a notice shared on their official social media pages on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Presidents’ Day is observed annually on the third Monday of February in the United States. It was originally established to honour the birthday of George Washington, the nation’s first president, and has since evolved into a day recognising the leadership and service of all U.S. presidents. Federal offices, including embassies and consulates abroad, close to align with this official holiday.
Due to today’s holiday, routine consular services such as visa interviews, passport renewals, notarial services, and general administrative functions are temporarily suspended at both the embassy and the consulate. Applicants with scheduled appointments have been advised to reschedule and are encouraged to monitor official embassy communication channels for updates and guidance.
Despite the closure of routine operations, both missions maintain emergency contact channels for U.S. citizens requiring urgent assistance. This means that American citizens in Nigeria can still reach out to the embassy or consulate via designated emergency phone lines if immediate help is needed , this is a standard practice for U.S. diplomatic missions during public holidays.
The embassy in Abuja serves as the principal diplomatic mission of the United States in Nigeria, working on political, economic, and cultural relations, while the Consulate General in Lagos primarily handles consular services, including immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing.
Officials note that the closure is consistent with how U.S. missions observe federal holidays globally , aligning their schedules with the official U.S. government calendar. Presidents’ Day creates a long weekend for U.S. federal employees, including diplomats and local staff serving in overseas missions.
Presidents’ Day falls between 15 and 21 February each year, depending on the calendar, and in 2026 it occurs on 16 February. The day acknowledges the historical contributions of past presidents and reflects the United States’ practice of observing national holidays within diplomatic missions abroad.
Both the U.S. Embassy and the Consulate have urged members of the public planning travel or consular visits to take the holiday into account and to reach out to official channels should they require assistance. Routine operations are set to resume on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
