British High Commission assures NOC of hitch-free visas for Commonwealth Games

The president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Engineer Habu Gumel, has said the British High Commission in Nigeria has agreed to support the NOC to ensure that there are no visa hitches for Team Nigeria’s contingent for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Addressing the press Thursday in Abuja after a meeting with the […]

The president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Engineer Habu Gumel, has said the British High Commission in Nigeria has agreed to support the NOC to ensure that there are no visa hitches for Team Nigeria’s contingent for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Addressing the press Thursday in Abuja after a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, represented by Jonathan Bacon , Gumel said the NOC deemed it necessary to discuss with the British High Commission so as to be well guided on how to obtain visas for Team Nigeria’s contingent for the Commonwealth Games.

He said “We are in the process of travelling to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games. And you know definitely, the Nigeria contingent will require visas and that is the reason we requested to meet with the British High Commission in Nigeria.

“We have received all the guidelines concerning visa processing for our continent which is very important for us. All our questions have been answered. We got all the details we wanted regarding what is going to happen here at the British High Commission and what will happen there in Birmingham.

“We are going to immediately start processing our visas so that members of our contingent will have their visas in time for us to participate in the Games and make our country proud.

Gumel, therefore, reiterated that based on the mutual discussions, there will be no visa problems for Team Nigeria.

On his part, Bacon said the British High Commission is ready to partner with the NOC to ensure hitch-free visas for Team Nigeria. 

“We have discussed the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July. It is going to be a fantastic event so we have discussed preparations that NOC is making.

“We also discussed visa processing for members of the Games family who will be travelling to the United Kingdom. We want to make things as smooth as possible for Team Nigeria,” said Bacon.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games is scheduled to be held in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8 2022.