Is Nigeria safe? The security situation in 2026, region by region

Is Nigeria safe to visit? The short answer

For most visitors who stay in the main cities and plan sensibly, yes. Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt are busy working cities where people go to the office, close deals, attend weddings and go out at night. Nigeria is home to many of the people reading this page, and daily life goes on across the country.

Security in Nigeria is not the same everywhere, though. Some northern states and parts of the Niger Delta carry serious risk, and the UK and US governments both advise their citizens against travel to them. Kidnapping for ransom is a national problem, not only a northern one.

Three things decide most of your risk. Where you go. How you move: road journeys between states, late drives and unplanned taxis carry far more risk than a day of meetings in a city centre. And how visible you are: people who look wealthy, foreign visitors and Nigerians visiting from abroad can all be seen as worth targeting. Advice also changes, and 2027 is an election year, so every fact here carries the date we checked it.

Is Lagos safe?

For most visitors, Lagos is a manageable city with real crime risks. As of November 2026, Lagos State is not on the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) lists of areas to avoid, and it is not among the states the US places at its highest level. Canada's advice, updated on 21 October 2026, asks for a high degree of caution in Lagos, saying crime levels are high and that violent crime has been committed against foreign nationals and in the areas they frequent.

The risks that touch visitors are practical: robbery, theft from cars, fake greeters at the airport and unsafe rides. Lagos police have warned about 'one chance' robbery gangs on major highways, and in December 2025 the Commissioner of Police advised residents to confirm a vehicle's registration number before boarding.

Traffic shapes everything. The FCDO notes that journeys in Lagos can be slow, and a car that sits still is easier to approach. Plan journeys by time of day, keep phones and watches out of sight and use a driver you arranged in advance. Our page on bodyguards in Lagos covers the city in more detail.

Is Abuja safe?

Abuja is the seat of the federal government and home to most foreign embassies. The Federal Capital Territory is not on the FCDO lists of areas to avoid. Still, the FCDO names the Abuja Federal Capital Territory among the places where criminal kidnapping is high, and Canada reports an increase in violent crime in the outer suburbs.

For a visitor, most of the risk sits on the edges: the airport road at night, the outskirts and the highways out. The FCDO names the Abuja-Kaduna highway as one of the major roads where criminal groups may kidnap people by stopping cars. Inside the city, the common danger is 'one chance' robbery in unregistered cars. A pre-arranged car and daylight travel outside the centre lower that risk considerably. See our page on bodyguards in Abuja.

Is Port Harcourt safe?

Port Harcourt is one of the main centres of Nigeria's oil and gas industry, and the official advice for it is stricter. As of November 2026, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the non-riverine areas of Rivers State, which include Port Harcourt, and against all travel to the riverine areas reached by boat. The US excludes Port Harcourt from its highest-level listing for Rivers State, and Canada places the city at 'avoid non-essential travel'.

The FCDO warns of a high threat of kidnapping and other armed attacks at oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta. If your trip is essential, plan every road move in advance, from the airport at Omagwa to your hotel and any site, and avoid travelling after dark. See our page on bodyguards in Port Harcourt.

How does the risk differ across the rest of Nigeria?

Nigeria has 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. This is a plain summary of the FCDO advice as of November 2026. The official pages hold the full detail.

• South West: no South West state is on the FCDO lists of areas to avoid. Crime and road safety are the main concerns, though the FCDO lists Ondo among the states that have seen an attack likely linked to terrorist groups since 2021.
• South East: the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Abia, Anambra and Imo, and names the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha expressway as a road where criminal groups may kidnap people by stopping cars.
• South South and the Niger Delta: all travel is advised against in the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, and all but essential travel in the non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.
• North West: the FCDO advises against all travel to Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto, and against all but essential travel to Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa. It calls kidnapping in the north west particularly severe.
• North East: all travel is advised against in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe, and all but essential travel in Bauchi. Terrorist groups are mainly based in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
• Middle Belt: the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, Kwara and Benue, and notes a Nigerian government warning about travelling at night in North Central Nigeria.

What does the UK Foreign Office say about Nigeria?

As of 3 November 2026, the FCDO travel advice for Nigeria was last updated on 28 October 2026, a change about Ebola screening and healthcare rather than security. The FCDO does not advise against travel to the whole country, only to the areas listed above.

On kidnapping it is direct: "Kidnapping is widespread across Nigeria and criminal kidnaps can occur anywhere." It says the problem is particularly severe in the north west and also high in many central and southern states, including Niger, Kogi, Kwara and the Abuja Federal Capital Territory. It lists British nationals of Nigerian origin visiting friends and relatives among possible targets.

On terrorism, the FCDO says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Nigeria. The main threat is in the north east, but it lists attacks likely linked to terrorist groups since 2021 in other states too, including Kaduna, Kano, Ondo, Edo and the Federal Capital Territory. It also notes that travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice.

What do the US and other governments say?

The US State Department rates Nigeria at Level 3, 'Reconsider Travel', citing crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and inconsistent health care. Its advisory dated 12 June 2026 puts 23 states at Level 4, 'Do Not Travel', in whole or in part. Lagos and the FCT are not among them, and Port Harcourt is excluded from the Rivers State listing. The Level 4 states are:

• For terrorism, crime and kidnapping: Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and northern Adamawa.
• For unrest, crime and kidnapping: Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara.
• For crime, kidnapping and unrest: Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo and Rivers State, excluding Port Harcourt.

Canada, as of 21 October 2026, asks its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Nigeria, including Abuja, and all travel to most northern states and several Niger Delta states. Each government uses its own scale, so check the current advice from your own government before you travel.

Road travel and travel after dark

The FCDO says road travel across Nigeria can be dangerous, and advises limiting travel after dark outside city centres and avoiding quiet, poorly lit roads.

Checkpoints are a normal part of the journey. The FCDO notes that some are genuine security checks while others exist to extort small payments, and advises slowing down and staying calm. Canada warns that crimes have been committed by people posing as police or military personnel. A few habits help a great deal:

• Fly between cities where you can, rather than drive long distances.
• Plan road journeys to finish well before dark, with fuel and a charged phone.
• Keep doors locked and windows up, and do not stop for strangers on quiet roads.
• Share your route and arrival time with one trusted person, and no one else.

Kidnap for ransom: who is targeted and how to lower the risk

Kidnapping is the risk that worries visitors most, and the UK, US and Canadian advice all mention it. The FCDO separates kidnaps by terrorist groups, mostly in the north, from criminal kidnap for ransom, which it says can happen anywhere. Criminal gangs look for people they believe can pay, or whose families can.

In November 2025, after mass abductions of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger States, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency and ordered more recruitment into the police and armed forces.

Nigerians coming home from abroad need particular care: the FCDO lists British nationals of Nigerian origin visiting friends and relatives among possible targets, and often many people know the dates and the address long before you land. The defence is mostly about information and routine:

• Keep travel dates, flight details and addresses to a small circle.
• Post photos after you have left a place, not while you are still there.
• Vary times and routes for anything you do every day.
• Leave expensive watches and jewellery at home, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash. The FCDO advises both.

Airport arrivals

The FCDO warns that criminals posing as greeters are a problem and advises making sure your greeter or driver properly identifies themselves before you set off. Canada notes that armed robberies have occurred at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, some of them fatal.

Arrange your pickup before you fly, know who is meeting you and have a simple way to check it is them. Do not accept a ride from anyone who approaches you in the terminal. Our guide to airport pickup security explains how a planned arrival works.

Taxis, ride-hailing and 'one chance'

'One chance' is the Nigerian name for robbers who pose as a driver and passengers, pick up a traveller and rob them once the car is moving. Abuja police have repeatedly told residents to board only painted taxis from designated motor parks. In January 2026, police in the FCT arrested suspects from a 'one chance' gang accused of threatening a passenger on the Kubwa Expressway, demanding a ransom and pushing her from the moving car. She died.

The FCDO says taxis, including online taxi app services, can pose a kidnap risk to passengers, and Canada describes most taxis and ride-sharing apps as unsafe. If you do use an app, check that the plate and driver match the booking, sit in the back, share the trip with someone you trust and never get into a car that already has other passengers inside.

Street crime, cash and fraud

The FCDO describes high levels of violent street crime across Nigeria, including muggings and armed robbery, and says areas around banks and cash machines have seen a spike in crime. If you are caught up in an armed robbery, it advises complying with the attackers' demands at once.

Fraud often starts before you travel. The FCDO says British nationals are increasingly targeted by scammers operating in West Africa and advises caution with requests for money, job offers and business ventures. Canada warns of romance scams and frequent card and ATM fraud. If a deal, a new contact or a sudden emergency asks you to send money, stop and check through a channel you already trust.

Protests and the 2027 elections

The FCDO says political rallies, protests and violent demonstrations can take place with little notice, including in Abuja and Lagos, and that security services have used tear gas in the past. If you see a threatening or intimidating situation, do not try to make your way through it.

As of September 2026, INEC had set the presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday 16 January 2027 and the governorship and state assembly elections for Saturday 6 February 2027, with campaigns under way since August and September 2026. The FCDO advises particular care during election periods. If you will be in Nigeria in January or February 2027, plan for rallies, road closures and slower movement around the results.

What changed with police protection for VIPs?

On 23 November 2025, President Bola Tinubu ordered police withdrawn from VIP protection and returned to core policing, and said VIPs who want police protection should request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Days later, the Inspector-General of Police said 11,566 officers had been withdrawn.

The order has not faded. In a signal dated 8 July 2026, the Inspector-General said it "remains fully in force", and that officers guarding facilities of national importance may protect those facilities only. Private security guards in Nigeria are not permitted to carry firearms under current law, and public detail on how private individuals apply for NSCDC protection remains limited.

In practice: do not expect to arrange a police escort as a private person, and be wary of any private company that offers its own armed guards. Where your plan truly needs armed cover, it must come from a lawful state source, with the rest of your protection planned around it. Our guide to armed escorts in Nigeria covers the details.

Do you need a bodyguard to visit Nigeria?

Most visitors do not. A business traveller with meetings in Victoria Island or central Abuja, a reputable hotel, a pre-booked driver and the habits on this page is well placed. Protection starts to make sense when one or more of these is true:

• You are well known, or your family name or business is.
• You must travel by road between states, or into an area on the UK or US lists, for work that cannot move.
• Many people know your dates and address, as often happens when families come home for December.
• You are carrying valuables, hosting an event or arriving late at night.
• You will be in Nigeria around the January and February 2027 elections, or your employer or insurer asks for a security plan.

How Blackwolf works in Nigeria

Blackwolf is a close protection company with Nigeria as its home ground, led by Ricky, a former British Paratrooper. We sign your NDA, look at your dates, places and profile against the current official advice and local news, and tell you plainly whether you need protection and how much. When you do, it rarely means a convoy: a trained driver, a normal-looking car, a planned route and one protection officer usually do more than a show of force.

We can have a team with you within 24 hours. New to this? Read how to hire a bodyguard in Nigeria or our page on close protection in Nigeria. Message us on WhatsApp at +34 632 613 535, email contact@theblackwolf.group or send us your plans.

More on security in Nigeria

Start with our page on close protection and security in Nigeria, or read another guide.