The United States government has issued a heightened travel advisory, strongly cautioning its citizens against travel to Nigeria due to an escalating wave of violent crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.

The new advisory, released as part of a broader U.S. Department of State security assessment across Africa, classifies Nigeria under a Level 3 risk category — "Reconsider Travel." This places the country alongside 11 other African nations, including Somalia, Libya, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which are flagged for high security threats.

🛑 What Level 3 Means:
Travelers are urged to reconsider travel plans due to serious safety risks. In some regions, the U.S. has assigned Level 4 — “Do Not Travel” — warnings.

In its official statement, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria declared that "all locations in Nigeria carry significant security risks," listing armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, and violent gang activity as major threats across both urban and rural regions.

🔴 High-Risk States: Where Not to Go

The U.S. identified 18 Nigerian states with “particularly dangerous conditions”, advising complete avoidance:

  • Terrorism/Kidnapping: Borno, Yobe, Kogi, northern Adamawa

  • Rampant Kidnapping: Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara

  • Widespread Crime & Armed Gangs: Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Rivers (except Port Harcourt)

The advisory also warns that terrorist groups are actively collaborating with local gangs, targeting public venues such as markets, shopping malls, hotels, schools, places of worship, and government buildings — often with little or no warning.

🏥 Healthcare Warning: ‘Come Fully Prepared’

Another major concern outlined in the advisory is Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system. American citizens are warned not to expect U.S. or European-standard medical care.

💊 “Most Nigerian hospitals lack adequate equipment and medications — including common drugs for diabetes or asthma,” the advisory states.

Travelers are urged to bring all necessary medications, update vaccinations (yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, etc.), and consider malaria prophylaxis. The U.S. Mission emphasized that counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a growing problem and most facilities require cash payment upfront.