By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The U.S. government says routine visa services in Abuja and 24 other African cities will end on August 1.

“Effective August 1, 2026, the Department of State will realign routine visa services in Antananarivo, Abuja, Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, and Windhoek to a regional visa hub,” the agency stated.

It noted that citizens and residents of the affected countries who wish to apply for a visa on or after August 1, 2026, must schedule an appointment and pay the required visa fee at the appropriate designated non-immigrant visa locations or designated immigrant visa locations.

From August 1, Nigerians who want to process a U.S. visa would have to travel to the U.S. consulate in Lagos.

According to a statement on July 23 by the agency, the move is “realigning visa operations in Africa to regional hubs, part of a long-standing Department practice that strengthens national security by promoting more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards, as well as improves efficiency”.

Last June, reports had it that Abuja was missing from President Donald Trump administration’s shortlist of 20 African cities where foreigners seeking to travel to the U.S. can process visa applications.

The U.S. currently has around 50 embassies and consulates across Africa that process visa applications, but the new move by the State Department will slash that number to 20 amid Mr Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

Abbas Yushau Yusuf

The Sardaunan Sokoto and Nigeria’s former British high commissioner Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji is dead.

A family source informed Nigerian Tracker about the passing of Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji this morning

Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji died this morning in Abuja Hospital after a prolong illness.

NIGERIAN TRACKER reports that Abubakar Alhaji is a Nigerian administrator who is a former Minister of Planning and Finance. He currently holds the title of Sardauna of Sokoto. Alhaji was a long serving Permanent Secretary who worked with various Nigerian administrations

Alhaji was born to the family of Muhammed Sani also known as Alhaji Alhaji because he was born on the day of Sallah and went on a made pilgrimage to Mecca, he was also called Dogon Daji, Sarkin Shanu.

Alhaji attended a secondary school in Kano before transferring to Katsina Government College. He later attended Bournemouth College of Commerce and University of Reading, Berkshire earning a degree in political economy.

Alhaji took courses at the Hague Institute of Social Services and the IMF Institute, Washington.

He joined the Nigerian civil service in 1964 and was an Assistant Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance in the late 1960s. After attending a course in Hague, he was briefly posted to the Ministry of Industries where he became a Principal Assistant Secretary. In 1971, he was posted back to the Ministry of Finance. In 1975, he became a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Trade and was in the ministry till 1978. In 1979, he was posted to the Finance Ministry as the Permanent Secretary. In his role at the Finance Ministry, he was involved in managing Nigeria’s relationship with its external creditors and was on the Nigerian negotiating team for Lome II agreement.

Alhaji was later posted to the Ministry of Planning before Babangida upgraded his position as Minister of State, Budget and Planning in 1988. Between 1990 and 1991, he was the Minister of Finance. In the mid-1990s, he was the country’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom.

Alhaji was turbaned Sardauna in 1990, the previous title holder, Ahmadu Bello died in 1966. He is a senior brother to the late Aliyu Dasuki who was raised by Ibrahim Dasuki. He has a grandson, Ibraheem Dasuki Aminu-Alhaji.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

In a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 governorship election, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has officially nominated the Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Jerry Adams, as his new running mate.

The announcement, made on Tuesday via a personally signed statement, effectively signals the end of the ticket with the current Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, who also served as Deputy to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai during his second term.

Governor Sani framed the decision as more than a political calculation, describing it as a “reaffirmation” of his administration’s core philosophy of inclusive governance.

“This decision is far greater than the selection of a deputy governorship candidate. It is a reaffirmation of the values that have guided our administration since I took the oath of office on 29 May 2023; the values of inclusion, justice, fairness, equity and the unwavering conviction that every citizen of Kaduna State deserves a genuine sense of belonging,” the Governor stated.

Addressing the state’s complex socio-political landscape, Sani noted that Kaduna’s rich diversity in ethnicity, religion, and culture should be a source of strength rather than division. He reflected on the state’s history, emphasizing the need to learn from past conflicts.

“Our history has taught us difficult lessons about the heavy cost of division, mistrust and exclusion. Yet it has also shown us that when we choose dialogue over discord, inclusion over alienation and justice over prejudice, our people achieve extraordinary things together,” he added.

The Governor touted his administration’s track record over the last three years as evidence of this commitment, citing equitable distribution of developmental projects across the state’s 23 local government areas. Key sectors highlighted include road infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, rural development, and social protection programs.

The nomination of Jerry Adams, who currently oversees the state’s revenue generation, signals a potential shift in the administration’s focus toward economic consolidation and fiscal expansion as it prepares for the 2027 electoral contest.