O. R. SalahudeenThis piece Nigeria travel advice- safety, security & travel intends to advise and educate a potential traveller coming to Nigeria on the current happenings and safety tips and how to have safe travel within the country.
Nigeria, the most important, the richest and the largest and strategically country located in West Africa, is a country that plays host to a lot of foreign visitors daily from all over the world. Regardless of the erroneous perception of some categories of western tourists about Nigeria and the strange war currently ravaging the northern part of the country, lot of foreigners are coming into Nigeria steadily for religious activities, tourism, conference, investment, family reunion, business, medical, relocation or spiritual and educational purposes.
Whatever the aims and objectives that may attract you to this diverse, amazing and rapidly developing country, some things need to be taken note of, concerning travelling to Nigeria. That’s why we are explaining Nigeria travel advice – safety, security and travel warnings comprehensively to enable foreign and local travellers understand the exact situation in the country.
Nigeria travel advice – safety, security and travel warnings
TO START WITH
Please note that Nigeria is relatively a large country and what is obtainable in an area is quite different from what is happening in another part.
You can easily map the country into three regions, namely the West, the East, and the North. While the West and the East shared almost homogeneous climates. The weather prevailing in the North is different. A foreign visitor must prepare for this nonhomogeneous weather unless you’re not visiting the North.
SAFETY & SECURITY
START YOUR NIGERIA TOUR FROM THE WEST: If you’re starting your Nigeria tour from the Western coast of the country. Be rest assured that you are in for a good time because Western regions are relatively safe and the weather is favourable year-round. From the commercial city of Lagos through to the largest city in Nigeria, Ibadan, you can continue your trip to Oyo town – a safe town where you can never be confronted with flooding or bad weather or violent crime. You’re at the liberty to go eastwards towns of Ife, Osogbo Ilesha or Ekiti Offa etc. All those towns are free to go with little or no daily crime experiences.
All the same, as a rule, it is important to watch and listen to local news through the numerous local radio, check for reports on various developments within the country, you can easily access emergency development online. Internet is easy to obtain nowadays in the West.
COMING FOR A JOB
If you’re an immigrant coming to Nigeria for employment purposes, It is assumed that your employer will educate you on your safety issues because it is their responsibility, then you need to ensure that you follow the local security guidelines laid out by your employer. Professional security advice will usually be provided and it is of utmost importance that you listen to such advice. Vigilance at all times is highly advised and also, it is important that you try, as much as possible to review the security measures you have taken regularly. It is also important that you make sure people are aware of your travel plans before your trip, and you must endeavour to not have predictable routines. When you’re in your area of employment never travel out without the permission of your employer and do not associate or keep unauthorized company. You must notify the authorities of all the visitors you intend to admit.
AVOID NIGHT TRAVEL
In your interest please never travel at night. Even though the West is safe night travel is not encouraged. Anything can happen at night anywhere in Nigeria.
Patrols and checkpoints within the city areas have been increased due to kidnappings and arm robbery incidents and as such, you need to exercise serious caution. Police checkpoints where available are largely ineffective or inefficient due to their being distracted by unofficial duties that bad police usually engaged in. Do not depend on them .
Do not take a chartered vehicle unless you’re familiar with the transport company, chartered caps are usually exploitative and occasionally dangerous.
NIGERIA COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION ARE HIGHLY RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE
Never travel on a private vehicle you don’t know the owner. Always take a trip from established motor parks. They’re safer and easier to trace. If you’re travelling on a commercial vehicle, it highly recommended that you start your trip and always take or relying on commercial transportation. They are highly professional and reliable. Furthermore, they are easily traceable, because they have a reliable Union and the organization is very active and responsive and responsible.
AVOID THE ATLANTIC OCEAN RENDEZVOUS
Please note that the Atlantic Ocean we have in Nigeria is not Tourist’s friendly, therefore avoid the atlantic Ocean rendezvous oftentime. Swimming off the coast of the country is not advisable because of riptides as well as undertow. The occurrence of drowning in those areas is known to happen once in a while in those areas. Atlantic is much more dangerous than the gentle Mediterranean sea most European tourists are used to.
When at events or gatherings, always be watchful, as hoodlums and criminals may use these places to their advantage and carry out elaborate robberies or simple theft.
Always seek local advice before you engage in any activity within the country as being informed on happening will protect you from potential disaster.
NIGERIA TRAVEL ADVICE – SAFETY SECURITY AND TRAVEL WARNINGS
NORTHERN NIGERIA
Currently, it’s advisable to avoid entire Northern Nigeria for any type of visit. Realistically speaking, the whole region is unsafe currently. Besides the famous Boko haram operating and terrorising the North east over a long period, there is currently a dangerous additional terrorism taking place in the North west and overlapped into the north East and moving westwards. Large scale terrorism known as banditry is being on going in the area. They are really very dangerous, please avoid the area.
Few years age only the North East used to be volatile or dangerous to travel, currently, the whole region is not only dangerous but deadly. The terrorists called Book haram dominated the North East, engaging in massive destruction of lives and properties, kidnappings and Arm attacks on the high ways. They turned the whole Northern Eastern area a very risky place to travel.
Nowadays the entire north as being taken over by terrorists. Arm banditry and kidnappings are very common and it is the order of the day in places such as Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kogi, etc. It is better to avoid those aforementioned States unless it is very important and urgently unavoidable to travel. Surprisingly bandits move freely in most of these States unchallenged in the broad day time. Travel by road to this area is not recommended. If you must travel it should be by flight or through the railway system.
If you must travel by road because of its affordability money-wise, you should use inter-state luxurious buses due to the facts that most luxurious buses understand the terrain and importantly they used Arm escort often time. Nowadays travel by train is the safest by land.
If you happen to travel to these places frequently then you need to make sure that you have heavy security dedicated to your protection. Working in Northern Nigeria means that you must ensure that your employer furnishes you with adequate security, the arrangements of which must be reviewed regularly. Predictable activities and modes of movement should be avoided as well.
States such as Katsina, Zamfara Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, experience regular military activities and as such it is important you need to monitor developments ongoing in these states to ensure that you don’t get caught up in any retaliatory attacks that may happen at other parts of the country.
THE EAST AND THE NIGER DELTA STATES:
the Eastern States such as Abia, Enugu, Emboyi, Anambra And Imo are also not very safe due to the problem of Arm robbery and kidnappings that are very rampant in the area. Travel to Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River states (Riverine areas) are not recommended due to militant activities which usually occur in riverine areas
Edo is now a dangerous State to travel. Kidnappers and arm robbers are the lords in Edo and it is common to hear of violent jailbreaks in most of their towns especially Benin city the State Capital. After the recent Edo State Governorship election and End SARS protests security matter became terrible in Edo State. Please avoid the place for now.
Travel to states such as Abia, as well as the riverine areas of Delta state, Bayelsa state, and Rivers state are also advised against unless they are essential.
Robberies and kidnappings have also been known to occur in Abia, Edo as well as Anambra and Imo States. The most common place for this occurrence in the area is the Enugu-Akwa-Onitsha expressway located in Anambra state.
CURFEW: Due to the security situation in most of the aforementioned States. The State government has enacted curfews for security reasons. Some of these places include Borno State, Katsina state, and Adamawa state. It is always important to be aware of these curfews and how they work so as not to get caught breaking them.
MARITIME SECURITY: Piracy and armed robberies are known to occur in Nigerian waters, the rivers as well as harbours in the Niger Delta regions as well as the Gulf of Guinea. Those who intend to travel these waters for various purposes, must, first of all, seek professional security advice and then take the necessary precautions to prevent against whatever mishaps that may occur.
POSITIVE CHANGES:
Its heartwarming to note that generally, things are returning to normal and peace are returning to some of the places mentioned above, both in the Eastern Nigeria and the Northern regions. Credit most go to the unrelenting effort of the current Borno State Governor, Professor Zulum. He is an exceptional leader. With a leader like the professor, peace will return to Nigeria.
STILL ON, NIGERIA TRAVEL ADVICE – SAFETY, SECURITY AND TRAVEL WARNINGS
WESTERN NIGERIA: Security-wise, the western part of Nigeria is generally secured and free from criminal activities of arm gang such as book harm and the so-called Niger Delta militants.
Experience at the Lagos Airport and the west land borders shows that visitors are coming and going very frequently and in large numbers.
Violent crime is relatively low, more businessmen, investors, Tourist and general visitors are coming in daily.
Most western states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun Ondo, Ekiti and Edo are free to visit due to peaceful atmosphere and all year round beautiful weather that is difficult to experience in so many other countries of the world.
Travelling by road to any of the above-mentioned states can be undertaking without security worry or challenges.
ENTRY STANDARD REQUIREMENTS
Usually, the Nigeria mission in your country of residence and travel companies will familiarise you with the entry requirements below are some of the important things to note.
VISA: If you are not from a country that has visa abolition agreement with Nigeria, it is important to note that you must process visa for entry, otherwise you will be denied entry into the country.
Visa On Arrival: Furthermore, if you’re a tourist or business person seeking a visa on arrival, endeavour to get approval before boarding in order not to be refused entry.
STILL ON NIGERIA TRAVEL ADVICE – SAFETY, SECURITY AND TRAVEL WARNINGS
The advice given here is illustrated as a means of helping you make your own decisions as regards Nigeria travel. Instructions and advice for individual trips are nearly impossible to make, which is why the advice is given on a general base.
When one intends to make a trip to a certain area, it is always advised that you read through the safety and travel advice concerning that nation, an area you intend to travel to, and furnished with all the facts, make your own decision. You are the only one who can decide whether or not to travel due to safety reasons.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Despite the various unsafe occurrences that have occurred in the nation, Nigeria still receives its fair share of foreign visitors. Statistically, the rate at which visitors are trooping into western Nigeria from the southern part of Africa and other parts of the world shows that Nigeria is still a preferred tourist destination in West Africa.
In conclusion, the information on security and precautions should not be treated with levity as one would not want to be caught by surprise when something bad happens.
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