The United States Consulate General in Lagos said on Friday that visa applicants in the state and American citizens in Nigeria would now have a better experience following the renovation of its consular pavilion.
Speaking during the opening of the pavilion, the US Consul General, Claire Pierangelo, noted that the renovated consular pavilion would provide a safe space for visa applicants to maintain social distance while waiting for their appointment.
In a statement on Friday, she said the Consulate was working hard to reschedule the visa applicants that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pierangelo said, “For most Nigerians and US citizens in Nigeria, their main interaction with the US Consulate is through our consular section. The Consular customer experience is something we continuously improve on. This new pavilion is an example of that effort. From the pavilion to the interview, we want our customers to have a positive experience.”
The statement also quoted Consular Chief, Liliane Hudspeth, as saying that the new pavilion would offer visitors more comfortable waiting area as well as a nice view of the lagoon.
“We have put in place safety measures that not only protect our visa applicants but also consular staff who serve those applicants,” Hudspeth added.
Also, Management Officer, William Bridgeland, lauded the cooperation between the US Consulate facility maintenance team and the Nigerian construction contractor. “Over the past six months, our team and the Nigerian contractor have worked tirelessly to construct this comfortable waiting area. We thank them for a job well done,” Bridgeland added.
The statement noted that the US Consulate General Lagos is one of the busiest consular sections in Sub-Saharan Africa. It added that prior to the pandemic, Consulate General Lagos received an average of 1,000 visa and American Citizen Services customers per day.
