The United Kingdom has tightened its travel advice for Nigeria, warning citizens against all travel to parts of 11 states while recommending only essential travel to several other states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The updated guidance from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) places Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara under its strongest travel warning. The advice also covers river and swamp areas accessible by boat but not by road in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
The FCDO separately advises against all but essential travel to Bauchi in the North-East, as well as Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa and Sokoto in the North-West.
Several North-Central states are also affected by the advisory. They include Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, Kwara and Benue. In the South-East, the UK lists Abia, Anambra and Imo under the essential-travel-only category.
The restriction also applies to non-riverine parts of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, while the Federal Capital Territory, including Abuja, is covered by the advice against all but essential travel. The FCDO’s latest briefing map, issued in July 2026, reflects the two-tier classification of areas considered higher risk.
The UK government warned that no journey can be guaranteed to be safe and urged travellers to review its Nigeria travel advice before making arrangements. It also advised travellers to research their destinations and obtain appropriate travel insurance.
The FCDO further cautioned that insurance policies may be invalidated when travellers visit areas against its official advice. It said travellers should check that their insurance covers their full itinerary, planned activities and potential emergency expenses.
The UK travel guidance covers a range of issues, including entry requirements, security risks, health concerns and assistance available to British nationals in Nigeria. It is divided between areas where the government advises against all travel and locations where only essential journeys are recommended.
The latest advisory does not amount to a blanket warning against travel to Nigeria. Rather, it identifies specific locations where the UK government considers the security risks sufficiently high to warrant stronger restrictions.
