The Government of Canada has issued a new advisory urging citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Nigeria, including the capital city, Abuja, citing an increasingly unpredictable security environment marked by terrorism, crime, armed attacks, and kidnappings.
The advisory, released on Monday, highlights that while the entire country faces elevated risks, certain regions are considered so dangerous that Canadians are urged to avoid all travel.
The only exceptions to the broader warning are the cities of Lagos and Calabar, where travellers are advised to exercise a high degree of caution rather than avoid travel altogether.
According to the travel advice, wide swaths of northern and central Nigeria are experiencing sustained instability driven by extremist violence, banditry, and inter-communal clashes.
The government specifically names the northwestern states of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara; the north-central states of Plateau, Niger, and Kogi; and much of the northeast, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, and Yobe.
According to the travel advice, the Niger Delta region also remains volatile. Canada advises avoiding all travel to Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states, though it stops short of a blanket ban on Port Harcourt itself, recommending instead that travellers avoid non-essential trips there.
Border zones are also flagged as particularly dangerous. The advisory warns against travelling within 10 kilometres of Nigeria’s borders with Cameroon, Niger, and northern Benin due to the risk of cross-border militant activity and criminal operations.
The government notes that terrorist attacks can occur with little or no warning and often target public places, government institutions, and areas frequented by foreigners. Kidnappings for ransom, affecting both local residents and international visitors, remain a widespread threat.
Canada’s updated advisory places Nigeria among the most high-risk destinations for Canadians worldwide. The government urges anyone currently in the country to remain vigilant, limit movement, and monitor local media for developing threats.
