Nigeria’s megacities, languages, and creative energy make it a dynamic hub at the crossroads of Africa’s coast and savanna.
English is the official language, but daily life flows through Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and hundreds of other languages. From Lagos’s urban sprawl to the northern markets of Kano and the oil-rich rivers of Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s regions pulse with distinct food, music, and cultural scenes. Federal structure and state-level variation shape the lived experience across this vast, diverse country.
Numbeo publishes these source indexes relative to New York City.
Visa and residency reference data is available for Tourist / Visa Waiver.
Nigeria short-stay e-Visa route for visits not exceeding three months for tourism, business meetings, conferences, temporary work permits, and similar short-visit purposes. The source states eVisa-class short visits are not extendable.
3 source-backed travel advisories are available for Nigeria.
Avoid non-essential travel
Avoid non-essential travel to Nigeria, including in Abuja, due to the unpredictable security situation throughout the country and the significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings. This advisory excludes the cities of Calabar and Lagos, where you should exercise a high degree of caution.
FCDO advises against all travel; FCDO advises against all but essential travel
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). North East Nigeria.
FCDO advises against all travel to:
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: Bauchi State. North West Nigeria.
North Central Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, including Abuja.
South East and South South Nigeria. FCDO advises against all travel to the riverine areas (the river and swamp locations accessible by boat, but not by road) of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
Reconsider Travel
Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, and inconsistent availability of health care services. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
Do Not Travel to:
On April 8, 2026, the Department of State authorized non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave U.S. Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation. Crime and Kidnapping Violent crime is common throughout Nigeria. This includes armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking, roadside banditry, and rape.
Terrorism There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Nigeria. Terrorists continue plotting and carrying out attacks in Nigeria. Terrorists collaborate with local gangs to expand their reach.
They may attack with little or no warning, including:
Visit the U.S. Department of State's country reports on terrorism to learn more. Unrest Civil unrest and armed gangs are active in parts of Southern Nigeria. This is especially true in the Niger Delta and Southeast regions. Armed crime and gangs are common in the area. Crimes include kidnapping and assaults on Nigerian security services. Violence can occur between communities of farmers and herders in rural areas.
Unreliable health care Americans should not expect the same level of health care to be available in Nigeria as they do in the United States:
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