Is Lagos safe? Travel risk overview
As of October 16, 2026, 4 governments publish travel advice for Nigeria, and those using numeric levels all place it at level 3.
Official government travel advisories for Nigeria
Four governments assess the same country independently. Levels run 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest).
| Government | Level | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. State Department | Level 3 | Reconsider Travel |
| UK FCDO | — | Warning FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Nigeria. ! Warning FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Nigeria. The FCDO publishes written advice rather than a numeric level. |
| Smartraveller | Level 3 | Reconsider your need to travel |
| Global Affairs Canada | Level 3 | Avoid non-essential travel |
U.S. State Department
Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping , and i nconsistent availability of health care services . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Crime and Kidnapping Violent crime is common throughout Nigeria. This includes armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking, roadside banditry, and rape. Kidnappings for ransom happen o
Smartraveller
Australian Government travel advice for Nigeria. Reconsider your need to travel. Travel advice level ORANGE. Understand the risks, local safety and laws.
Crime and safety indices
Numbeo indices are crowd-sourced perception measures for Lagos; the UNODC rate is an official national statistic. They measure different things and are shown together for context, not as a combined score.
Health
Current CDC notices: Global Polio, Diphtheria in Sub-Saharan Africa, Global Measles.
Health considerations for Nigeria:
- Routine vaccines
- COVID-19
- Chikungunya
- Cholera
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Malaria
- Measles
- Meningococcal disease
- Monkeypox
- Polio
- Rabies
Source: CDC Travelers' Health. Vaccination needs depend on your history and itinerary — consult a travel health provider.
Natural hazards
Active GDACS events for Nigeria:
- Orange DR — Drought in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Chad
Full assessment for Lagos
This page shows published advisories and indices. A Secure Traveler assessment adds eight categories of analysis for your specific trip — crime, targeted risks, cyber, IP risk, identity and financial, transportation, embassy and emergency, and medical — plus an emergency card with local numbers, hospitals and embassy contacts. Three full reports are free.
Generate a free assessmentSources
- U.S. State Department — official advisory
- UK FCDO — official advisory
- Smartraveller — official advisory
- Global Affairs Canada — official advisory
- Numbeo crime and safety indices for Lagos
- UNODC Global Study on Homicide (2017)
- CDC Travelers' Health — Nigeria
- GDACS — Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
Not available when this page was built: usgs: no M4.5+ earthquakes within 500km of Lagos in the last 30 days. These are named rather than omitted so the gaps are visible.