Nigeria: Various travel information
How do you get to Nigeria?
Airplane
There are a total of 22 airports in Nigeria that have asphalt runways. There are also 21 other runways, which are mainly available to oil companies or the air force.
Nigeria has international airports in four cities: Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt. Nevertheless, international air traffic is concentrated in Lagos, which is less good for other regions of the country. The country can be reached with the help of various European airlines such as British Airways (London/ Heathrow – Abuja and Lagos), Virgin Atlantic (London/Heathrow – Lagos), KLM (Amsterdam – Abuja, Lagos and Kano), Air France (Paris/Charles de) Gaulle – Lagos), Alitalia (Rome/Fiumicino – Accra and Lagos), Turkish Airline (Istanbul – Lagos), Lufthansa (Frankfurt/Main – Abuja and Lagos) and Iberia Airlines (Madrid – Lagos). Arik, Bellview Airlines, Virgin Nigeria and Aero offer international flights between Nigeria and other African countries and Delta Airlines has flights between Atlanta and New York and Lagos 5 times a week. China Southern Airlines and South African Airlines also fly to Lagos.
There are direct flights to Lagos from Frankfurt/Main and Zurich.
Ship
The main ports are Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar. They are called by ships from London, Liverpool and other European ports.
Car/Bus
Nigeria is connected to Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon by roads.
Travel in the country
!!! Crime in Nigeria is very high. Travel inland is therefore not necessarily recommended. !!!
Air connections
There are domestic air connections between Lagos and Ibadan, Benin, Port Harcourt and other major cities. Small planes can also be chartered. The domestic flight system has suffered a painful decline in recent years, which has to do with rising aircraft costs. The national airline are the Nigerian Eagle Airlines, which were formerly known as Nigeria Airways and Virgin Nigeria Airways. The largest airline, however, is Arik Air with a fleet of more than 20 aircraft. It also runs nationally.
Railroad
The country’s rail network covers a total of around 3,500 km. Trains run daily from Lagos to Kano and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. Branch lines lead from Zaria to Gusau and to Kaura Namoda. Most of the trains in Nigeria are used to transport freight and not people. However, the new Nigerian President Yar’adua has announced a nationwide rail network that should be ready by 2011. At the moment it is not very advisable to travel by train in Nigeria.
Bus
It is very easy to get around the country by bus. However, you should always be prepared for delays. There are an infinite number of bus companies that can take you from one part of Nigeria to another. ABC Transport Services stands out in particular because of the good service. Lagos state government itself maintains a transit system that serves the metropolitan area of the city.
Ferry connections Ferry
traffic exists along the south coast and on the Niger and Benua rivers. There are a total of around 8,500 km of navigable waterways in the country. Transporting people by boat is not very common in Nigeria and is therefore not a good alternative to road or air.
Okadas (motorbikes)
For short distances you can also ride an okada, a motorcycle. But they are really only advisable for shorter distances, because the drivers drive a fast-paced style and there are no helmets.
Taxis
You will find more taxis than buses in the smaller towns. These are very comfortable and affordable. However, you should be prepared for a fast driving style.
Roads and rental cars
Nigeria’s road network covers around 200,000 km (around a third is paved, of which around 1,200 km are motorways) and connects all major cities. However, some more remote roads are impassable during the rainy season. For a rental car you need two passport photos in addition to the international driver’s license, but mostly rental cars are only returned with a driver.
All capitals of the states can be reached by means of a network of highways. Very often driven routes are connected with the help of expressways. The country’s roads are in poor condition – even the highways. Potholes of all sizes hold them together. One should be prepared for people to be driving on the wrong side of the road to avoid them. If you come across grass or twigs on the road, special care is required. They act as a counterpart to the German warning triangle and indicate that an accident has occurred. You shouldn’t be put off by the screams of some Nigerian drivers like “Oyinbo”, “MBakara” or “white man” in traffic. It is not meant to be evil.
Rental cars are usually provided with a driver, which makes sense, as the traffic conditions are difficult to understand and dangerous for those who are not familiar with the area, especially in Lagos. The statistics speak volumes, because every year around 9,000 people lose their lives on the Nigerian streets. There are of course self-drivers, but they are also happy to be a target for the badly paid police who want to collect money for all sorts of reasons – in cash of course and without a receipt. You should never give the original driver’s license to a police officer. It is better to hand out a copy or to show the bill through a closed window. Otherwise you will have to trigger it with money. The police are not dangerous, just annoying. Those who constantly refuse to pay will get away because the police do not have any real power.
For rental cars in Nigeria you need an International Driving Permit.
Traffic rules
Right-hand traffic has been driving in Nigeria since 1972. In order to avoid trouble with the police or even the courts, one should strictly adhere to the traffic rules applicable in the country. The maximum speeds shown can of course be reduced or increased by traffic signs. Regardless of the information given here, it is advisable to obtain detailed information from the ADAC or the AvD.
Top speeds
- In urban areas: in built-up areas there is a speed limit between 40 km/ h and 60 km/h, depending on the volume of traffic
- Country roads: there is a speed limit of 100 km/h on country roads
Blood
alcohol limit In Nigeria there is a blood alcohol limit of 0.0 per mille for drivers of motor vehicles.
International license plate
According to Abbreviationfinder, the international license plate of Nigeria is:
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Nigeria: Embassies, Consulates and Tourist Office
Visit Countryaah for a full list of Nigeria embassies and consulates in each country around the world.
Representations of Nigeria in Germany
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Berlin is located on Neue Jakobstrasse. The embassy is located in an old building built and restored in 1878, which was previously used as a tenement house. The house was built as part of the development of Luisenstadt and, unlike large parts of the district, was not destroyed during the Second World War.
Embassy in Berlin
Neue Jakobstr. 4
10179 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 21 23 00
Email: info@nigeriaembassygermany.org
www.nigeriaembassygermany.org
German representations in Nigeria
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Abuja
9 Lake Maracaibo Close, Maitama
PO Box 5177
Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
Tel: 00234 – (0) 9 – 413 09 62/64/65
Email: info@abuja.diplo.de
Web: http://www.abuja.diplo.de
Consulate General in Lagos
15 Walter Carrington Crescent (formerly Eleke Crescent)
PO Box 728
Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: 00234 – (0) 1 – 280 99 66
Email: info@lagos.diplo.de
www.abuja.diplo.de
Austrian representations in Nigeria
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Austria in Nigeria
Plot 9, Usuma Street
Maitama – Abuja
Tel: 00234 – 706 – 418 322
Email: abuja-ob@bmeia.gv.at
The Austrian Embassy in Nigeria is still responsible for:
- Equatorial Guinea
- Benin
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Cameroon
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Chad
- Togo
- Central African Republic
Representations of Nigeria in Austria
Embassy in Vienna
Rennweg 25 P.O.
Box 183
1030 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 712 66 85/-86/-87
Email: info@nigeriaembassyvienna.com
Swiss representations in Nigeria
Swiss Embassy in Abuja
157 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II District
900288 Abuja
Tel: 00234 – (0) 9 – 461 05 40/41/48
Email: abu.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
www.eda.admin.ch/abuja
Consulate in Lagos
“Western House”, 7th Floor
8/10 Broad Street
Lagos
Tel: 00234 – (0) 1 – 280 54 77
Email: lagos@honorarvertretung.ch
Representations of Nigeria in Switzerland
Embassy in Bern
Zieglerstrasse 45, Case postale 574
3000 Bern 14
Tel: 0041 – (0) 31 – 384 26 00
Email: info@nigerianbern.org
www.nigerianbern.org
Tourist office
Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation
Old Federal Secretariat Area 1
Private Mail Bag 167, Garki
Abuja
Tel: 002234 – (0) 9 – 87 01 075
Email: info@tourism.gov.ng
www.tourism.gov.ng
Entry and exit regulations
Formalities, visas
Tourists from EU countries require a valid passport, a visa and a return ticket to enter Nigeria.
Visa department of the Embassy of Nigeria
Neue Jakobstr. 4
10179 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 21 23 00
Email: NigeriaEmbassy@compuserve.com
Issuing visas in Austria and Switzerland
See under Representations of Nigeria in Austria and Switzerland.
Foreign exchange, goods
The national currency of Nigeria is:
Nigerian Naira (NGN) = 100 Kobo.
Import and export of foreign currency and goods
Since the conditions for the import and export of foreign currency and goods or gifts are constantly changing, you should get the latest information on the following Internet portal:
https: // www.customs.gov.ng
Inexpensive goods, souvenirs
In Nigeria , tourists like to buy patterned and indigo-dyed fabrics (adure), batik and ceramics from the south-west of the country, leather items and kaduna cotton from the north, wood carvings from the east as well as beadwork, basketry and traditional masks.
Nigeria: Travel Medicine, Vaccinations and Warning Labels
Infectious Diseases
In Nigeria, the following infectious diseases, which are not or less common in Germany or Central and Northern Europe, are to be expected:
- Malaria: There is a year-round risk of infection, including in cities. Between 80 to 90% of infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
- AIDS, HIV
- Amoebic dysentery
- Bacterial agitation
- Schistosomiasis – there is a nationwide risk of infection.
- Lyme disease
- cholera
- Dengue fever – there is a nationwide risk of infection.
- Intestinal infections from contaminated food or water, including amoeba, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Filariasis – there is a nationwide risk of infection.
- Typhus – there is a nationwide risk of infection.
- Yellow fever – Nigeria is a WHO-designated yellow fever infection area.
- Guinea worm
- Hepatitis A and B
- Kala-Azar – especially in the north of the country
- Polio, polio
- Lassa fever
- Leishmaniasis – especially in the north of the country
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Sleeping sickness
- tetanus
- rabies
- Tick bite fever
Vaccination recommendations
- Diphtheria – a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
- Yellow fever, absolutely!
- Hepatitis A and B
- Polio, polio – vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country.
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Tetanus – a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.
- Rabies – but only for high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals
- Typhoid – but only for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Compulsory vaccination
For all persons older than a year and arriving from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO, there is a compulsory vaccination against an illness with yellow fever.
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling in the country, it is strongly advised to undergo malaria prophylaxis. However, if the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least have a “stand-by preparation” with you.
