Travel/Tourism
Top Mistakes to Avoid During Visa Interview
By Adeniyi Ogunfowoke
Getting a visa is not difficult. You simply need two things- complete documents and confidence. You will definitely get your visa. However, this is not always the case. There are avoidable mistakes that may happen during the visa interview that will obviously ruin your chances of being issued a visa. To forestall these possible problems during your visa interview, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares some mistakes to steer clear of.
Inappropriate Answers
You should be prepared for your visa interview so that you do not give irrelevant and inappropriate answers. If you are not able to predict what visa interview questions are, you will not be able to give genuine and well-thought-out answers for visa officials. That is why it is essential for you to be familiar with the common visa interview questions, to properly plan in your head your answers early enough before the visa interview date.
Skipping questions or giving false answers
Whenever you apply for a visa, the interview is simply a way for the diplomatic office to meet with you and understand more in depth if the information provided in the visa application form is correctly offered. Trying to avoid answering questions of the visa official, does not protect you at all. Also, giving fake information does not give you any good result, as the diplomatic office will reconfirm all the information you provide during the interview and in the application form.
Inappropriate appearance
The way you appear during your interview, including your outfit, shoes, makeup, body posture and even the amount of perfume you wear can go a long way in determining the outcome of the interview. Remember that the first impression is everything and, usually, you cannot get the second chance to leave the first impression, so give it the needed importance instead of trying to improve it another time.
Incomplete supporting documentation
Appearing in the interview half or inappropriately equipped with the needed documentation to support the accuracy of the information provided in the visa application form, will absolutely decrease your chances to get a visa. Instead, make sure to consider early enough all the visa requirements and ensure they are complete.
Unnecessary information
If you have been asked a question, make sure to understand it well. Exaggerated answers and not required explanations are not supposed to be given in visa interview. The visa official is not interested in losing a day hearing unneeded and irrelevant information. The official only wants to get specific and clear information that directly asks you.
Nervousness
What destroys your answers during the interview, is appearing there full of nervousness. Even though your visa application and supporting documents, as well as your physical appearance, are as they should, nervousness, over-confidence might be destroyers of your interview.
Lateness
When you have a visa interview appointment, the embassy or consulate will communicate the exact date and time of it. As such try to arrive at the embassy or consulate where your interview will take place, at least a few minutes earlier. For example, if you have a visa interview at the US embassy, there is no room for lateness the gates open as early as 6: am. It is advisable you book a hotel near the embassy so that you won’t be late.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Emirates has become the first airline cargo carrier to deploy the Boeing 777-300ERSF passenger-to-freighter converted aircraft.
The aircraft (A6-EBK) will enter commercial service with a flight from Hong Kong to Dubai carrying over 100 tonnes of cargo, a statement from the airline operator stated.
The converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF offers 100 tonnes of payload capacity and 811 m³ of cargo volume, representing a 25 per cent increase in cargo volume over the Boeing 777-F production freighter.
At 47 pallet positions, the converted aircraft also accommodates 10 additional pallet positions when compared with the Boeing 777-F production freighter, making it ideal for transporting volumetric cargo such as e-commerce goods, which currently constitute around 20 per cent of global air cargo tonnage with further growth projected in the next few years.
The converted Boeing 777-300ERSF is the sixth new freighter, following five Boeing 777-F production freighters, to join Emirates SkyCargo’s fleet since March 2026.
As part of its ambitious expansion strategy, Emirates SkyCargo will also be taking delivery of five additional Boeing 777-F aircraft as well as one additional converted Boeing 777-300ERSF by December 2026.
Emirates SkyCargo will also be introducing three additional converted Boeing 777-ERSFs into its fleet in 2027.
“The induction of the first converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF into operational service represents the next step in the expansion of our fleet and operational agility.
“We are optimising our fleet assets by converting older Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to meet the growing demand for air cargo capacity to transport goods rapidly across the world,” Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President, Badr Abbas, commented.
“Combined with our growing fleet of Boeing 777-F production freighters, we have already been able to scale our global freighter network from just over 40 destinations in February this year to 62 destinations currently and growing.
“We are providing our global customers with scalable cargo capacity and ultimate flexibility and connectivity when moving cargo to and through our hub in Dubai,” Abbas added.
