country
NigeriaNigeria
Plan Nigeria city by city: 3–4 nights in Lagos (Victoria Island or Ikoyi base), then a flight, not a road trip, to Abuja or Calabar for 2–3 nights; many states are under government travel warnings.
Nigeria is large and trips break on road travel: intercity roads carry accident, crime and kidnap risks, and governments warn against travel to several states in the north-east, north-west and the Niger Delta. The rules that apply everywhere: fly between cities, arrange airport pickups through your hotel or host, keep a low profile, and check your government's advice state by state before you book.
All regions, cities and parks in Nigeria (Atlas) →
Regions
Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki; Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, beaches by boat
3–4 nights
Federal capital; Aso Rock views, Jabi Lake
2–3 nights
Calabar carnival (December), Drill Ranch, Obudu plateau
2–3 nights
Arrive
LOS
Murtala Muhammed International (Lagos)
Traffic can make the ride to Victoria Island or Lekki take hours
ABV
Nnamdi Azikiwe International (Abuja)
About 40 min by road to central Abuja
Time math
- 4 days
- Lagos 4 (arts and markets, a boat day to the beaches)
- 7 days
- Lagos 4 + fly to Calabar or Abuja 3
Country rules
- Check visa and entry rules for your passport with the Nigeria Immigration Service or a Nigerian mission; most visitors need a visa arranged before travel.
- Governments advise against all or all but essential travel to a number of Nigerian states; check your own government's advice for each state on your route.
- Check the yellow-fever vaccination certificate rules for Nigeria before you fly; carry the certificate with your passport.
Etiquette
- Greetings come first: say hello and ask how someone is before any question or purchase; skipping this is rude.
- Use your right hand to give, receive and eat; the left hand is considered unclean.
- Greet older people with respect; titles (Sir, Ma, Chief) are used widely.
- Ask before photographing people, and do not photograph police, the military, airports or government buildings.
- Rainy season (about Apr–Oct)
- Flooding in Lagos and delays on roads and flights.
- December
- Detty December in Lagos: concerts and parties, packed flights and hotels, very heavy traffic.
- Election periods
- Protests, road closures and movement restrictions; avoid travel around election dates.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 4/5
- Currency is the Nigerian naira (NGN, ₦). Exchange rates have moved sharply; change money only at banks or licensed operators.
- Cards work in larger hotels, malls and restaurants in Lagos and Abuja, but card fraud is common; use a card with travel alerts and keep it in sight.
- Carry small naira notes for tips and transport; bank transfers are widely used for local payments.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry
Safety
- Check your government's advice by state before booking; advice covers large parts of the north-east, north-west and the Niger Delta.
- Do not travel between cities by road after dark, and avoid intercity road travel where you can.
- Lagos: arrange pickups through your hotel or host, keep a low profile, and do not walk alone at night.
- Kidnap for ransom occurs; vary routines on longer stays and keep your plans private.
- Emergency numbers vary and may not always connect: save your hotel's, driver's and insurer's numbers, and check your government's advice page.
- Health: see a travel clinic well before you fly about vaccinations and malaria prevention, and check whether a yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required for your passport and route, including transits.
Lagos is West Africa's largest air market; Benin (Cotonou) and Ghana (Accra) are short flights.
Sources
- UK FCDO foreign travel advice: Nigeria (official)
- Wikivoyage — Nigeria (secondary)