Safety in Nigeria: what overland travellers should know

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 14 June 2026.

Safety

Non-essential travel — Because security conditions are unpredictable countrywide and the risk of terrorism, crime, intercommunal clashes, armed attacks and kidnapping is high, the ministry advises against any non-essential travel to Nigeria. Nigeria is among the countries in the region with the highest crime rates and widespread violence.
States strongly advised against — Travel is absolutely advised against across the whole north (in particular Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa, Plateau, Niger and Sokoto), in the south-east (Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi) where armed separatist groups operate, and in the Niger Delta (Bayelsa, Rivers State, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo), where criminal activity aimed at expatriates and foreign firms is high. Jihadist groups and armed gangs dedicated to kidnapping and banditry operate in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi and Plateau.
Armed escort required — Travel anywhere in the country, especially outside the main urban centres, carries risks of terrorism, kidnapping, robbery and ethnic violence and should be limited to the strict minimum and undertaken in an adequate security setting, with armed escorts from the local police. The ministry recommends armoured vehicles and an escort for movements in areas at risk, and organising an escort for airport transfers.
Attacks on vehicles — Since March 2022 the five south-eastern states have faced a campaign of armed attacks by separatist groups. Although mostly aimed at vehicles, checkpoints and police stations, the risk of a foreigner being hit by mistake is high. In May 2023 an attack killed two Nigerian employees of the US embassy and their police escort.
Rains destroy roads — In the rainy season (May to October) intense rain periodically floods entire riverside districts and massively destroys road infrastructure, as in 2010, 2022 and 2023, completely blocking road travel between cities in the affected regions for several days. Check the timing of your trip and the forecast before travelling overland.
Border crossings — Nigerian authorities periodically impose restrictions on border crossings. Before any overland trip between Nigeria and Benin — which stays advised against because of the state of the road surface and for security reasons — or between Nigeria and Cameroon, Chad or Niger, check the latest information with the local authorities.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 14 June 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Nigeria before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 14 June 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.