U.S. warns on large parts of Nigeria
The State Department expanded travel warnings for Nigeria, telling Americans to avoid many regions because of terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest — one report says U.S. guidance now advises against travel to 23 of Nigeria’s 36 states. ((semafor.com)) (The Independent). Nigeria’s government has publicly rejected the U.S. assessment and sought to reassure citizens and partners, but the advisory also authorized non‑emergency U.S. government personnel to depart the embassy in Abuja — so if you had plans there, you should check official guidance before booking. (Pulse Nigeria) (The Independent).
The United States did not just tell Americans to “be careful” in Nigeria this week. On April 8, the State Department told Americans not to travel to long lists of Nigerian states and let non-emergency United States government staff and family members leave the embassy in Abuja. (travel.state.gov, ng.usembassy.gov) The advisory names 23 of Nigeria’s 36 states, plus part of Adamawa state in the northeast, and it carves out one exception in Rivers state for Port Harcourt. The Federal Capital Territory, where Abuja sits, is not on the “do not travel” list, but the embassy says its ability to help Americans from Abuja is now limited. (travel.state.gov, ng.usembassy.gov, britannica.com) The map inside the warning shows three different problems in three different belts of the country. In Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Jigawa, and northern Adamawa, the State Department cites terrorism alongside crime and kidnapping. (travel.state.gov) In Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, the warning shifts to unrest, crime, and kidnapping. In Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and most of Rivers, the warning focuses on crime, kidnapping, and unrest rather than terrorism. (travel.state.gov) That split matters because Nigeria is not one security story. The northeast has battled jihadist violence for years, parts of the northwest and central belt have seen mass kidnappings and armed bandit attacks, and parts of the southeast and delta face a different mix of separatist unrest, criminal gangs, and oil-region insecurity. (travel.state.gov, britannica.com) The United States warning is also written for Americans, not as a verdict on daily life for 200 million-plus Nigerians. The State Department says travel advisories describe risks and precautions for United States citizens, and it warns that Americans are often seen as wealthy and can be targets for kidnapping. (travel.state.gov, travel.state.gov, britannica.com) Nigeria’s government pushed back fast. Officials and local media reports said Abuja remains safe and rejected the idea that the capital should be treated as broadly unsafe, even as the United States embassy kept its reduced-footprint posture in place. (pulse.ng, thecable.ng, ng.usembassy.gov) This lands in a relationship that was already tense on travel. In December 2025, the United States imposed partial travel restrictions on some Nigerian visa categories, and Nigerian officials spent months trying to ease those rules through talks with Washington. (pulse.ng, pulse.ng) For travelers, the practical point is simple. Abuja’s embassy is still open, Lagos is still operating, but if your trip touches northern, central, southeastern, or delta states named in the advisory, the official United States guidance now treats much of that route as a place Americans should avoid. (ng.usembassy.gov, travel.state.gov, ng.usembassy.gov)
