Lagos

Nope.

Numbeo's Safety Index puts Lagos at 31/100 for crime — that makes it read about the same as than Nigeria's national picture overall (32/100 vs 32/100).

Verified Sep 9, 2026Confidence high
32Sketch Score

City page · part of Nigeria

The one number a country page can't give you

What people who actually live in Lagos report

Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Nigeria's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.

Crime Index

69.1

Safety Index

30.9

Source: Numbeo, user-submitted →

Sub-scores

Same real inputs as Nigeria's national page, with crime swapped for Lagos's own Numbeo number above.

44advisoryConsensus
10Political Stability
30Police Trust
20Health
54Road Safety
53Natural Disaster
2LGBTQ+
31Crime

Local know-how

Staying safe in Lagos, specifically

  • • In general, Lagos has become a much safer place to visit than before, with the state spending huge budgets on security with police patrol cars, CCTV cameras (though this isn't always the case).
  • • While it is rare for a tourist to be a victim of a violent crime, it is still wise to stay safe and be alert, especially during late night outings.
  • • Lagosians are generally nice and friendly people, most of whom will readily offer directions to you if you are lost.
  • • Lagos still has its fair share of street beggars (both the old and young), people with psychological disorders, etc.
  • • There are police officers who are corrupt and inefficient so it is best that you stick to places and people you know and avoid going anywhere without a trusted guide if it is a first visit.
Source: Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA) →

Legal status (national law)

Illegal since 1 June 1904 (Northern Region only)Illegal since 1 June 1916 (Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria) Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment. Death in the states of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara. (not enforced)

Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →

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

Cash vs. Card

Nigeria's currency is naira (symbol: ₦, ISO 4217 code: NGN). Banknotes circulate in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000. Between 2023 and 2024, high inflation caused the naira to lose three quarters of its value against other currencies.

How this compares to Nigeria

Numbeo's Safety Index puts Lagos at 31/100 for crime — that makes it read about the same as than Nigeria's national picture overall (32/100 vs 32/100).

See the full Nigeria page and all receipts →