Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  You may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States.  Roads are generally in poor condition, causing damage to vehicles and contributing to hazardous traffic conditions.  There are few working traffic lights or stop signs and few traffic control officers to manage traffic during power outages.  The rainy season, generally from May to October, is especially dangerous because of flooded roads and water-concealed potholes.

All drivers and passengers should wear seat belts, lock doors, and keep windows closed.  It is important to secure appropriate automobile insurance.  Drivers and passengers of vehicles involved in accidents resulting in injury or death have experienced extra-judicial actions, i.e., mob attacks, official consequences such as fines and incarceration, and/or confrontations with the victim's family.  Driving between 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. should be done with extreme caution, as bandits and police roadblocks are more numerous at night.  Automobiles, trucks, or "okadas" often drive on the wrong side of the road or on sidewalks.  These vehicles are difficult to see at night because streets are poorly lit, and many vehicles are missing headlights, tail lights, and reflectors.

Traffic Laws and Culture:  Motor vehicle accidents can be reported by dialing “119,” the local equivalent to 911.  Traffic control officers may occasionally seek bribes when citing drivers for traffic violations.  Excessive speed, unpredictable driving habits, lack of basic maintenance and safety equipment on many vehicles, and the absence of any official vehicle inspection for roadworthiness all present additional hazards.  Motorists seldom yield the right-of-way and give little consideration to pedestrians and cyclists.  Accidents on highways with high casualties are common.  Chronic fuel shortages have led to long lines at service stations, which disrupt or block traffic for extended periods.

Public Transportation:  We recommend avoiding public transportation throughout Nigeria. Public transportation vehicles, such as buses and motorbikes, are unsafe due to poor maintenance, high speeds, and overcrowding.  Motorbike taxis, known in Nigeria as "okadas," offer a common form of public transportation in many cities and pose serious danger to other motorists, their own passengers, and pedestrians.  Motorbikes are banned within Abuja's city limits and many major thoroughfares in Lagos.  Okada drivers and passengers are required to wear helmets in a number of cities in the country; police can fine violators on the spot. Passengers in local taxis have been driven to secluded locations where they were attacked and robbed.  Several of the victims required hospitalization.

Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information.  Also, we suggest that you visit the website of Nigeria’s National Tourism Ministry.

Aviation Safety Oversight:  The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Nigeria’s air carrier operations.  Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page.