(Credit: Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times) The Nigerian government shut down its San Francisco, California consulate in 1989 that was located in this property at 3247 Jackson Street in the City’s uber-wealthy Presidio Heights district. The Federal Republic of Nigeria reportedly still owns the abandoned 4,250 square-foot property worth an estimated $4,948,512.
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
Nigeria plans to reopen its abandoned consulate in San Francisco but it will not be issuing passports or visas. Instead, the property will be used to establish a Nigerian Digital Technology Exchange Programme Hub (Nigeria Startup House.) Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in Nigeria, announced this week that it is setting up Nigeria Startup House. Nigeria is seeking to tap into the lucrative San Francisco Bay Area technology and venture capital industries to boost the West African nation’s start up profile in the US. The San Francisco Bay Area is a magnet for startups around the world. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the set up of Nigeria Startup House as part of his “administration’s plan” to position Nigeria as a major player in global technology. Dr. Tijani said the startup hub in San Francisco “sits firmly in our desire as ministry to position Nigeria as a significant player in the global technology landscape.” Nigeria Startup House will play a “critical role” in promoting Nigeria’s economic interest, attracting Foreign Direct Investment and improving the visibility and positioning of Nigeria’s Startup Ecosystem to attract funding and expertise from global markets and organisations represented in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, Dr. Tijani explained. The Bay area is home to such well known tech companies as Apple, Facebook, Google, Cash APP, Uber, Oracle, Salesforce, Pay Pal.
“The San Francisco Bay Area, and nearby Silicon Valley, is recognised globally as a major source of startup ecosystem funding, with a combined GDP value of just over $929 billion and is home to over 200 of the largest companies in the world by revenue. In addition, most of the $1.3 billion funding sourced by Nigerian technology startups in 2023 alone came from Venture Capital funds in the Bay Area.”
–Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in Nigeria
The Federal Government will still retain ownership of the property, represented by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But will be managed by a consortium of Nigerian digital technology companies who will provide non-public funding for the operations of the Startup House, Dr. Tijani added. The proposed launch date of the tech hub has been disclosed.
Nigeria’s Abandoned San Francisco Consulate Property Worth Nearly $5 Million
(Credit: Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times) The property housing the former Nigerian Consulate in San Francisco was built in 1910.
The Nigerian government shut down its San Francisco consulate in 1989 that was located in a 4,250 square-foot residential home at 3247 Jackson Street in the City’s uber-wealthy Presidio Heights district. The 7-bedroom home is reportedly still owned by the Republic of Nigeria although it has been sitting empty for three decades. According to a San Francisco realtor, the property is worth an estimated $4,948,512. In 2021, the Nigerian government announced it planned to reopen the consulate in San Francisco but it never happened.
Nigerians On The West Coast of U.S. Wanted San Francisco Property to Reopen for Passport/Consular Services
Credit: Gary Raynaldo / © Diplomatic Times / Consulate General of Nigeria located at 828 second Avenue, New York, NY, is one of the three Nigeria’s diplomatic representation in the United States of America. The others are in Atlanta and Washington D.C.
Nigerians living out on the West Coast of the States are frustrated that the San Francisco Consulate did not re-open for business as the government has promised. They are not too thrilled about the trouble and great expense of traveling to New York, Washington DC and Atlanta for passport/consular services. There are stories of Nigerians having to travel to say, New York, stay in expensive hotel, and get up early a.m. hours to stand in the long line at the Consulate General of Nigeria in Manhattan for passport business.
