U.S. expands Nigeria advisory

The United States has pulled non-emergency staff and families from its Abuja embassy and widened its no-go map for Nigeria. (travel.state.gov) The State Department updated Nigeria’s advisory on April 8, 2026, kept the country at Level 3, and said 23 states now fall under Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warnings. (travel.state.gov) The newly added states were Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger and Taraba, according to the advisory and a same-day security alert from the U.S. mission in Nigeria. (travel.state.gov) (ng.usembassy.gov) Abuja’s embassy remains open, but the U.S. mission said it now has a limited ability to provide emergency services to Americans in Nigeria. The consulate in Lagos is still providing routine and emergency services. (ng.usembassy.gov) A U.S. travel advisory is written for American citizens, not for the host country as a whole. State Department guidance says advisories can be updated when conditions change substantially, including when the U.S. government changes staffing levels for security reasons. (travel.state.gov) Nigeria as a whole is still listed at Level 3, which means “Reconsider Travel,” while the Level 4 warnings apply only to specific states. The advisory cites crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs and uneven access to health care. (travel.state.gov 1) (travel.state.gov 2) The state-by-state list shows how uneven the risk picture is. Borno, Yobe and northern Adamawa are flagged for terrorism, while southeastern oil-producing states including Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa are flagged for crime, kidnapping and unrest. (travel.state.gov) Plateau’s addition came days after a March 29 attack in Jos North killed more than 28 people, according to Plateau’s governor and Human Rights Watch. The group said the state has long faced recurring violence tied to land, political representation and “indigene” versus “settler” disputes. (hrw.org) Reuters reported on April 9 that U.S. officials linked the move to worsening security conditions, including kidnappings, banditry and attacks on security forces, especially in northern Nigeria. (usnews.com) Abuja pushed back on the U.S. warning. Nigerian officials called the advisory “unbalanced” and said it should not be read to mean the country is unsafe for residents or visitors. (naijanews.com) (punchng.com) For Americans already in Nigeria, the embassy’s advice is practical rather than diplomatic: make an emergency plan that does not rely on U.S. government help, and expect the staffing drawdown in Abuja to be reviewed regularly. (ng.usembassy.gov)