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Voykit pocket guide · Nigeria
Maiduguri
Yerwa
Go only if you have a work, NGO or family reason: 1–2 nights, city limits only, no road travel beyond the outskirts.
Maiduguri is the capital of Borno State and the trading hub of north-eastern Nigeria, home to about 1.2 million people. Since 2009 it has been the centre of the Boko Haram insurgency, and most Western governments advise against all travel here. The city itself is heavily guarded and has long stretches of calm, but attacks on the airport side and the roads out are recurring. Treat it as a work trip, not a holiday: one or two nights, a driver, and a curfew-aware plan.
- Country
- Nigeria
- Local name
- Yerwa
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry, cooler nights)
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (heavy rain), Apr–May (40 °C (104 °F) heat)Jun–Sep (heavy rain), Apr–May (104 °F (40 °C) heat)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NGN
- Money
- Currency is the Nigerian naira (NGN, ₦). Exchange rates have moved sharply; change money only at banks or licensed operators.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₦25,000–45,000 excl. bed · Mid ₦45,000–90,000 excl. bed · High ₦90,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile; SIM registration needs a passport and NIN-style biometric capture — foreigners register at company offices (check).
- Emergency
- National emergency 112 · Police 112
- Plugs
- Types G, D · 230 V · 50 Hz · Grid power is unreliable; hotels run generators. Bring a power bank.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 5–10% if service is not added.; Driver day: ₦5,000–10,000.; Hotel porter: ₦500–1,000.; Guide: ₦5,000–10,000 per group.; Parking attendant ('agbero' or official): A few hundred naira; only to official attendants.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap. Bottled or sealed sachet water ('pure water') from known brands.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; carry tissue and hand sanitiser.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bottle of water (75 cl) | ₦300–700 |
| Plate of rice and stew in a local restaurant | ₦2,000–5,000 |
| Fried chicken and fries (BinMak Cafe class) | ₦5,000–9,000 |
| Beer in a hotel bar | ₦1,500–3,000 |
| Keke (tuk-tuk), 45 minutes | about ₦1,500 |
| Tricycle, 45 minutes | about ₦300 |
| Lake Chad Club day entrance | ₦1,000; lifelong membership ₦60,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MIU · Maiduguri International Airport
- Domestic flights from Lagos via Abuja and from Yola; the airport sits west of the centre, the side most often hit by mortar fire — check current advisories before booking.
Typical fares
- Keke (tuk-tuk), 45 minutes
- about ₦1,500
- Tricycle, 45 minutes
- about ₦300
- Car with driver, full day
- ₦40,000–90,000
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Hire a car with a driver for the whole stay; NGOs and UN staff are not allowed to drive themselves far. Yellow kekes (tuk-tuks) and blue buses cover short hops — about ₦1,500 for 45 minutes by keke, about ₦300 by tricycle — but sitting on the side of a tricycle exposes you to robbers. Do not overtake or cut into military convoys.
See and do
Known for
- Borno State Museum
- Emir Palace and the Borno Emirate
- Monday Market and Gomboru Market
- Mai Deribe Palace
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jere | By car with a driver, north-east of the centre | Under 1 h |
| Mafa | By car with a driver, east on the Dikwa road | About 1 h |
| Benisheikh | By car on the Damaturu road | About 1.5 h |
| Monguno | By road north, about 135 km (84 mi)By road north, about 84 mi (135 km) | 2.5–3 h |
| Gwoza | By road south-east, about 130 km (81 mi)By road south-east, about 81 mi (130 km) | 3 h+ |
| Biu | By road south on the A4, about 190 km (118 mi)By road south on the A4, about 118 mi (190 km) | 3.5–4 h |
Sleep
- Old GRA and Kashim Ibrahim Road
- Government-quarter side, most hotels with walls, generators and armed guards.
- Around the airport road
- Closest to MIU and to the Grand Pinnacle; convenient for early flights, but the western edge is the exposed side.
- City centre (Lagos Street, Yerima Road)
- Restaurants and shops within walking distance; quieter streets after dark.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Barka da safiyaBAR-ka da sa-FEE-ya |
| Thank you | Na godena GO-day |
| How much is it? | Nawa ne?NA-wa ne |
| Please | Don Allahdon AL-lah |
| I don't understand | Ban gane baban GA-ne ba |
| Help | Taimakatie-MA-ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Greet with a handshake and a question about family; Yoruba juniors may bow or kneel to elders; avoid: Rushing to business
- Titles: Use Sir, Ma, Chief, Alhaji; avoid: First names with older people
- Hands: Right hand to give, receive and eat; avoid: The left hand for money or food
- Dress: Smart clothes for churches, offices and events; modest dress in the north; avoid: Shorts in the north
- Hospitality: Accept food or drink offered; avoid: Flat refusals
- Photos: Ask first; avoid: Police, soldiers, airports, government buildings
Scams and watch-outs
- Most Western governments advise against all travel to Borno State; check your own government's advice and your insurer before booking.
- Militants operate within about 20 km of the centre; rocket and mortar attacks on the western side near the airport recur.
- A curfew is in force, adjusted by the military; it has been set at 23:00 since late 2023 — check the current time on arrival.
- Do not photograph military personnel, checkpoints or government buildings.
- Do not walk the streets after dark: much of the city has no mains power and is very dark.
- Road travel out of the city is not possible for visitors; national highways A3 and A4 are unsafe.
Maiduguri is the epicentre of the north-east insurgency. The centre is heavily garrisoned and has been calm for stretches, but the airport side takes mortar fire and the roads out are not safe for visitors. Stay inside the city, move in daylight with a driver, keep doors locked after dark, and check your government's advice before you book.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Maiduguri yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Borno State Museum
- Emir Palace and the Borno Emirate
- Monday Market and Gomboru Market
- Mai Deribe Palace
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Borno State Government: bornostate.gov.ng/
- OpenStreetMap — Maiduguri: www.openstreetmap.org/relation/3713511
- Wikivoyage: Maiduguri, revision 5340222 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5340222
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MaiduguriYerwa
Kai ni wannan adireshin, don Allah
Take me to this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy in Maiduguri; the US embassy and UK high commission are in Abuja. Register your trip with your embassy before travelling to Borno State.
Carry a printed address card in Hausa and English; many drivers read Hausa first.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/maiduguri). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.