prices from

£ 219

Flights and travel guide to Nigeria

Nigeria is a country in equatorial West Africa. It is the continent’s most populous nation. It has a southern coastline on the Gulf of Guinea, and has Benin to the west, Cameroon to the southeast, Chad to the northeast, and Niger to the north. It is the largest oil producer and second largest economy in Africa.

Climate Varies; equatorial in the south, tropical in the center, arid in the north. Natural hazards include periodic droughts and flooding. Tornadoes and hurricanes are rare because they typically are weak at this stage and travel west of the Atlantic. But still beautiful.

Terrain Southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in the southeast, plains in the north. The Niger river enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea.

Get in

Most travellers will need a visa, this can be obtained at any of the Nigerian embassies worldwide.

By plane

There are plenty of airlines offering flights to Nigeria from major UK airports including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, New Castle, London Gatwick. International airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt. Arik Air and Bellview Airlines make local and international flights (to other African countries and London), Virgin Nigeria and Aero to others African countries.

Several European airlines fly to Nigeria: British Airways (London Heathrow - Abuja, Lagos), Virgin Atlantic (London Heathrow - Lagos), KLM (Amsterdam - Abuja, Lagos, Kano), Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle - Lagos), Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa - Abuja, Lagos), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul - Lagos), Lufthansa (Frankfurt - Abuja, Lagos), Iberia Airlines (Madrid - Lagos)
US Based Delta Airlines operates daily non-stop service from Atlanta to Lagos.
Other inter-continental airlines fly to Lagos. They include: China Southern Airlines (Beijing, Dubai), Emirates (Dubai), Middle East Airlines (Beirut), Qatar Airways (Doha).
There are African companies: South African Airways from Johannesburg, Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Abbeba, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, Afriqiyah Airways from Tripoli, Hewa Bora from Kinshasa.
Besides these, there are other airlines (in addition to VNA and Bellview) that operate domestic and regional flights to places like Abidjan, Accra, Banjul, Conakry, Dakar, Douala, Freetown, Johannesburg, Libreville, Monrovia.
Currently Port Harcourt international is closed for rehabilitation works.
There are also airports in most states of the federation and local air travel is widespread.

Stay safe

Nigeria is a fairly dangerous destination. Crime levels are high, particularly in Lagos. The Niger delta area is unsafe for tourists. There is continual low-level violence between government and separatist groups, and there have been several kidnappings of foreign oil workers. The waters outside Nigeria is one of the most likely places to be attacked by modern day pirates. Be aware of street salesmen. Actually, you could buy a lot of stuff while you drive your car but it’s not recommended. Most of the merchandise will be Chinese copies of known brands like “Duracell” batteries and such.

If you have family that live in Nigeria, we advise that you do not stay with them during the tenure. The reason is because once robbers (usually armed) find out that someone from Western countries (America, England, France) is arriving, they rampage the homes and possibly injure or kill the inh

abitants of the home, with a general aim of stealing what they can.

Stay healthy

As is expected all around the world, do not risk unprotected sex with strangers or even with the person you think you know. Travellers to Nigeria are also required to vaccinate themselves against yellow fever, preferably 10 days before arrival in Nigeria. As malaria is prevalent, malaria pills and mosquito nets are also recommended. Polio vaccination in Nigeria is intermittent and there is currently a high rate of infection in the north of the country.

Swan water is the safe drinking water to look for approx 80 naira for a big bottle. The cheap “pure water” sold in plastic bags is cheaper but not as “pure” as SWAN. EVA water, a brand by Coca Cola Company, is also recommended.

It is advisable to purchase bottled water from convenience stores rather than by the road side. These upscale convenience stores usually purchase their supplies directly from the suppliers, along with soft drinks such as Coca Cola and other bottled beverage products.

Social Norms

If you are speaking the language, some of the languages have different ways of addressing those older than you, from those younger than you. You do not hand things over to people, especially adults and elders older than you, with your left hand. It’s considered an insult.

You don’t cross or jump over someone’s legs if they are sitting with the legs extended out. It’s considered bad luck.

Avoid shaking hands with elders and older people in non Igbo villages. It’s disrespectful to do that. Can you bow down a little? Kneeling for women or prostrating by men is the normal thing to do. You may not need to do it either, but just show some form of respect when greeting older people. You can get away with not doing that in big cities or urban areas, they are less traditional there.

When entering a house in the predominantly Muslim North, you have to let them know in advance that you are visiting so that the women can prepare (cover themselves up). Islam requires women to cover their hair & bodies to other men and this is practiced in the North. Knock the door and wait to be answered before going in. They will ask you to wait while the women are informed. Do not be offended by the wait.

Keywords: travel, travel guide, travel to nigeria