Nigeria: country facts, travel advice and health

01Free

The 30-second card

CapitalAbujaSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

LanguageEnglishSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

CurrencyNigerian Naira · ₦ · NGNSource: Unicode CLDR · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

TimeUTC+1Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

PlugsD · G, 230 VSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

DrivingOn the rightSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Emergency · tap to call

112Police · Ambulance · Fire

Source: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United States passport

Visa neededSource: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United Kingdom passport

Online visa or authorisationSource: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

SIM and eSIM

Mobile data is cheap for visitors: about 11,000 naira (roughly US$7) buys 40GB plus 40 call minutes a month.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Apps locals use

Bolt: ride-hailing, the simplest way to get around big cities such as Lagos and Abuja.SimpliRide: a newer ride-hailing service that arrived after Uber pulled out.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 2 of 5: Cash pays for most things; cards are taken in some places.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Nigeria

Nigerian Naira · ₦ · NGN

Change leftover naira back before flying out; the currency is nearly worthless abroad.

Bring large US dollar or euro notes: money changers give a better rate for them than for small bills.

At markets, start the counter-offer near half of the first price quoted.

Hotels usually take a 125% room-rate deposit, refunded at checkout; paying it by card exposes card details.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect Nigerian Naira in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

Public holidays in the next 12 months

Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day

Mon, 28 Dec 2026 · Boxing Day

Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day

Mon, 8 Feb 2027–8 Mar · Ramadan (expected date)

Tue, 9 Mar 2027 · Eid al-Fitr (expected date)

Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday

Mon, 29 Mar 2027 · Easter Monday

Mon, 3 May 2027 · Workers' Day

Sun, 16 May 2027 · Eid al-Adha (expected date)

Thu, 27 May 2027 · Children's Day

Sat, 12 Jun 2027 · Democracy Day

Fri, 1 Oct 2027 · National Day

Mon, 1 Nov 2027 · National Youth Day

Source: Nager.Date · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗Source: Umm al-Qura calendar (computed with ICU) · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

02Free

Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Nigeria say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

Travel warning for some regions

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 21 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Reconsider travel

Calm

Caution

Serious ●

Don’t go

Level 3 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 11 Jun 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

Advises against all travel to parts of the country

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 21 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Fake airport greeters

Make any driver or greeter meeting you at the airport prove who they are before leaving.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Card fraud

Never let your card out of sight when paying.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Romance, friendship and business scams

Be wary of anyone met online who asks for money, offers jobs or deals, or wants to meet.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Staged 'miracle baby' births

Treat fertility and surrogacy offers with great caution; regulation is weak.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Extortion at roadside checkpoints

Slow down at every checkpoint and stay calm.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Malaria risk. Jabs: yellow fever, hep A/B, typhoid, polio booster, measles, meningitis (north, dry season).

Vaccinations

Yellow fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid are recommended, plus a polio booster for adults, routine shots including measles, and meningococcal vaccine for the northern meningitis belt in the dry season.

Malaria

Risk

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

In the app: the travel layer

The travel layer

Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

€4.99once · all countries

Pay once. No subscription. All countries, yours forever.

Must-see · 1Osun Sacred Grove, Osogbo

A sacred UNESCO-listed forest grove on the edge of Osogbo.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

Benin City's old walls were said to run four times the length of the Great Wall of China.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: Nigeria, We Hail Thee. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

2 World Heritage sites in Nigeria, each with a photo and its story, in the app. Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

05Free

Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $290.8 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $1,224Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, fertilizers, cocoa beans (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	237.5 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	19.4 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	62.2 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2018 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	923,768 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in northSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in northSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	federal presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+234Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Umm al-Qura calendar (computed with ICU) · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).