The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced that its Embassy in Abuja and Consulate General in Lagos will be temporarily closed in observance of Juneteenth National Independence Day.

In a statement posted on its official X account on Thursday, the Mission said both diplomatic offices will remain closed on Friday, June 19, 2026.

“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026, in observance of Juneteenth National Independence Day,” the statement read.

The Mission added that regular consular and diplomatic services will resume after the holiday. The closure will impact routine visa appointments, passport processing, and other non-emergency services during the period.

Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19, marks the end of slavery in the United States. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved African Americans of their freedom—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

The day was officially designated a U.S. federal holiday in 2021 after legislation was signed into law by former President Joe Biden. Since then, U.S. government offices, including embassies and consulates worldwide, have observed the day as a public holiday.