How safe is Nigeria for travelers?

The travel advice, stated first

• The FCDO advises against all travel to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara states, and to the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
• It advises against all but essential travel to Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, Kwara, Benue, Abia, Anambra and Imo states, and to the non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.
• Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory appear on neither list. That is why Lagos and Abuja are ordinary destinations and why this guide exists.
• Travelling against the advice can invalidate your travel insurance. Check your policy against the map before you book anything upcountry.

Kidnapping

• Kidnapping for ransom is widespread and can happen anywhere, worst in the north west but also high in Niger, Kogi, Kwara and the Abuja Federal Capital Territory.
• Named highways are a specific risk, including the Abuja to Kaduna highway and the Enugu to Awka to Onitsha expressway.
• Travel in daylight, vary your routine, and meet in secure locations. That is standard advice for residents and it applies to a visitor with a schedule someone can learn.

Street crime

• There are high levels of violent street crime, muggings and armed robbery, and frequent carjackings on urban roads.
• If you are caught in an armed robbery, comply immediately. The FCDO says this plainly and it is the right advice.

Roads

• Limit travel after dark outside city centres. Avoid quiet, poorly lit roads, keep windows up and doors locked in traffic, and keep valuables out of sight.
• Checkpoints are everywhere, some official and some there to extract small payments. Slow down, stay calm, do not argue.
• A UK licence works for 3 months, then a 1968 international driving permit, then a Nigerian licence after a year.

Curfews and protests

• Curfews are imposed, changed and lifted at short notice. Ignoring one risks arrest and detention, so check locally rather than assuming.
• Large demonstrations happen in Lagos and Abuja with little warning and have been met with tear gas, rubber bullets and, on occasion, live fire. Avoid them entirely.

Laws that carry serious penalties

• Drug possession, including cannabis, means a long jail sentence and heavy fines, and border scanning is thorough, including for transit passengers.
• Photographing government buildings, military sites or airports can lead to arrest.
• Same-sex sexual activity is illegal, with penalties up to 14 years and the death penalty under Sharia law in some northern states. The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act also criminalises organising or attending same-sex weddings and running or joining LGBT+ groups. Read the FCDO's LGBT+ advice before travelling.
• Dress and behave modestly, particularly in the north and during Ramadan.

Water

• Rip tides and undertows kill people off the Nigerian coast every year. Get local advice before swimming.