UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9

The United Kingdom Home Office has announced an upward revision of visa application fees across various categories, with the cost of study visas for main applicants and their dependents rising from £490 to £524.

According to an update published on the Home Office website on March 19, the new fees will apply from April 9. The cost of a six-month visit visa will increase from £115 to £127, while a two-year visa will now be issued at £475, up from £432. Additionally, the fee for a 10-year visa has been raised from £963 to £1,059.

Transit visas have also been affected by the changes, with the direct airside transit visa fee increasing from £35 to £39, and the direct landside visit visa rising from £64 to £70.

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The UK has long been a preferred destination for Nigerian students looking to further their education, often as a way to escape economic challenges at home. However, the number of Nigerian students applying to study in the UK has dropped significantly in 2024 following a government policy barring most international students from bringing their family members.

The rule, which does not apply to postgraduate research students, has led to a decline in study visa applications from countries such as Nigeria and India. A March 2024 report by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service highlighted the shift, noting that many prospective students are now seeking admission in alternative destinations.

UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9

Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr

Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad, says the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan fasting has been sighted.

The Sultan, who is president of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSIA), said in a broadcast on Saturday night, “Today marks the end of the Ramadan fasting and Sunday, March 30, is the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.”

Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians

By Dada Jackson

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has urged Lagosians to embrace proper environmental practices and obey the state’s environmental laws ahead of the Eid-l-Fitr festivities to mark the end of the Ramadan fast by Muslim faithful around the world.

Corps Marshal of the agency, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (retd), sounded the call at the agency’s command headquarters at Bolade-Oshodi.

He said, ‘‘The Ramadan fast is a testament to the willingness of Muslim faithful to adhere to the pillars of their faith and it is enjoined that cleanliness is an important religious practice in all faiths, which is why we admonish Lagosians to imbibe proper waste disposal and keep their environment clean during the celebration.”

Cole also advised Lagosians to make proper use of pedestrian bridges for their safety instead of crossing highways to prevent ‘hit and run’ cases by speeding motorists.

He equally read a riot act to miscreants in the habit of converting pedestrian bridges to sleeping areas which deters Lagosians in transit, pedestrians vowing that anyone caught w be made to face the state Environmental laws as amended

The KAI boss also revealed that the agency had recorded giant strides and would not relent in ridding pedestrian bridges across Lagos of criminal obstructions, traders and hawkers with daily arrests made alongside secured prosecutions by the Courts.

The Corps Marshal also warned Lagosians to desist from street trading, use of Styrofoam pack, hawking in traffic, patronage of cart pushers for refuse disposal, and erection of illegal structures on laybys, setbacks, medians, road verges, kerbs or around public schools in the state.

The KAI head said offenders would be made to face the consequences via prosecution in a competent court of appropriate jurisdiction.