The United States has told its citizens to think twice before stepping into Nigeria.
In its latest global travel advisory, the US Mission in Nigeria urged Americans to “reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs, and inconsistent availability of healthcare services.”
This latest update places Nigeria in Level Three, a high-risk category on the US Department of State’s four-tier scale.
Level Four is the highest — “Do Not Travel” — and Nigeria now sits one step below.
18 States Marked as No-Go Zones
The advisory listed 18 Nigerian states where Americans should not go under any circumstances.
Top on the list were Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and northern Adamawa due to terrorist activity and kidnapping.
Other states like Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe, were flagged for widespread abductions.
Southern states were not spared either. Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers were all named as dangerous, mainly due to violent crime, kidnappings, and the activities of armed groups.
The advisory added: “Violent crime is common in the country. This includes armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking, roadside banditry, and rape.”
It noted that kidnappers often target “dual national citizens visiting Nigeria and U.S. citizens perceived as wealthy.”
Terror attacks, the report warned, could strike “with little or no warning” at malls, markets, churches, mosques, transport hubs, and other crowded areas.
Health Care Also a Major Concern
The US government also flagged Nigeria’s weak health system as a reason to reconsider travel.
“U.S. citizens should not expect the same level of health care to be available in Nigeria as they do in the United States,” the advisory said.
It mentioned lack of essential medicines, poor emergency response, and unreliable blood supply.
Travellers were advised to come with full supplies of prescription drugs, including for diabetes and asthma, and to update all vaccinations — especially for yellow fever, hepatitis A & B, cholera, typhoid, and polio.
“All visitors should take Malaria prophylaxis. Nigeria is at high risk for Malaria,” the advisory added.
Emergency services like ambulances and trauma care, it said, are limited, often ill-equipped, and usually demand “immediate cash payment.”
The mission recommended all Americans get “traveler’s insurance, including medical evacuation insurance,” before visiting Nigeria.
This advisory came alongside warnings on 11 other African nations, including Somalia, Libya, South Sudan, and Burkina Faso, where similar threats were reported.
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