Nigeria

Nigeria faces a jihadist insurgency in the north-east and an expanding banditry crisis in the north-west, alongside Middle Belt communal violence and Niger Delta militancy. These are distinct conflicts driven by different dynamics.

Boko Haram, including a resurgent JAS faction, and ISWAP conduct frequent attacks on civilians, the military and aid workers, mainly in the north-east, and new Sahel-linked groups such as Lakurawa have emerged in the north-west. Crowded places and infrastructure are targets.

Kidnapping for ransom is a nationwide threat, with mass abductions in the north-west, including hundreds of schoolchildren in single incidents, and highway, community and hotel abductions elsewhere. Foreigners are high-value targets, and aid workers are specifically targeted in the north-east.

Armed robbery, carjacking, burglary and fraud affect cities and highways, and weak policing and impunity are widespread. Financial and advance-fee fraud is prominent.

Intercity road travel is dangerous due to highway kidnapping, banditry and insurgency, particularly on northern routes and the Kaduna-Abuja corridor. Air travel between major cities is the safer option, and some regions should be avoided entirely.

Healthcare is limited outside a few major private facilities in Lagos and Abuja, and public and rural care is poor. Malaria and other diseases are prevalent, and serious cases require international evacuation.

Nigeria is religiously and ethnically diverse, broadly Muslim in the north and Christian in the south, and religious and ethnic tensions are significant. Northern states apply Sharia law affecting alcohol, dress and conduct. Political, religious and ethnic topics are sensitive, and travellers should dress modestly and defer to local guidance.

Same-sex relationships are criminalised nationwide, with severe penalties, including the death penalty under Sharia law in some northern states, and strong social hostility. LGBT travellers face serious risk and should exercise absolute discretion, including over digital content.

Improvised explosive devices are used by insurgents in the north-east, and contamination affects former and current conflict areas there. Elsewhere the risk is low, but the north-east should be avoided.

Nigeria is a federal democracy under President Tinubu, but state capacity is uneven, security forces are overstretched, and corruption is significant. The government faces criticism over its inability to protect communities. Consular support is available but limited in conflict regions.

Financial and advance-fee fraud is prominent, and the authorities monitor online activity and apply a broad Cybercrimes Act that has been used against journalists and commentators. Travellers should practise good digital and financial hygiene.