Think twice.
Nigeria's sketch score rose to 41 today, and you face US and Canadian level 3 travel advisories alongside active health notices for diphtheria, polio, and measles.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Nigeria
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Think twice.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Police extortion
Police officers routinely target, harass, and intimidate people to extort bribes. Do not argue with or fight a corrupt officer, even if you have done nothing wrong.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Sharia law punishments
In the north eastern regions, the Boko Haram group enforces a harsh interpretation of sharia law that includes flogging.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Diphtheria in Sub-Saharan Africa
- • Global Polio
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Nigerian crime levels are fairly high, particularly in Lagos.
- •The Niger Delta area is unsafe for tourists. There is continual low-level violence between government and militant groups, and there have been several kidnappings of foreign oil workers.
- •Corruption: Corruption in general is systemic and endemic in Nigeria.
- •Authorities: The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which was tasked to combat violent property crimes and was notorious for its gross abuse of power, was later disbanded.
- •Do not be tempted to argue with or fight a corrupt police officer, even if you haven't done anything wrong.
- •LGBT travellers: Nigeria is not a safe destination for gay and lesbian travellers.…
Staying healthy
- •Travellers to Nigeria are required to vaccinate themselves against yellow fever, preferably 10 days before arrival in Nigeria.
- •Water is sold in different sizes (sachet and bottle).
- •For the latest traveller's health information pertaining to Nigeria, including advisories and recommendations, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nigeria destination website.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers report conflicting information regarding safety in Nigeria, with online sources ranging from warnings of extreme danger, including kidnapping and terrorism in Lagos, to advice that standard safety precautions suffice. Discussions highlight concerns about regional instability and the specific targeting of religious sites. While some travelers express apprehension about solo movement, particularly for women, others emphasize that corruption and common scams exist as they do elsewhere. There is no consensus on the feasibility of independent exploration, such as walking alone in cities or visiting beaches, leaving prospective visitors to weigh the desire for a unique travel experience against the reality of reported unrest and security risks.
“Some webpages says that it is insanely dangerous to travel to, especially Lagos with an insanely high risk of terror and kidnapping, and other webpages says that it is fine, and to just take the same safety measures as in a lot of other countries.
— r/travel
“I’m particularly worried because it looks like churches are a big target and as a guest of the archbishop, I would inevitably be inside churches and church property for a majority of the time.
— r/travel
“I know there has been unrest in different parts of the country over the years, issues with corruption, scams(as with everywhere), etc but realistically, how concerned should I be?
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
D / G · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 / ambulance: 112 / fire: 112
Zoom in
One Nigeria city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (11 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12