Travel
10 Safety Tips For Foreigners And Tourists In Nigeria
By Balogun Kamilu Lekan
If you’re looking for an adventure, Nigeria is one of the most special countries of its kind on the planet. Most visitors to this West African country describe it as an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Nigeria is frequently misunderstood or misrepresented, which might raise questions about your safety. But with the tips in this article, you will enjoy your experience.
1. Visit The Major Cities
Nigeria’s major cities, such as Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt, are relatively safe for foreigners. Many ex-pats have lived in Abuja, Lagos, and neighbouring Ogun State for decades without incident. You should be fine if your travel is limited to these areas.
2. Keep It Low
Basic safety precautions should be taken when travelling to Nigeria, just as they would when travelling to any other major country. This includes avoiding wearing flashy jewellery and clothing whenever possible, avoiding known high-crime areas, limiting the amount of money on you at any given time, and avoiding flashing cash, especially large amounts, in public.
3. Avoid Volatile Regions
Like every other country, which has its hot spots. Nigeria is no exception, as some of its regions are volatile.
Travelling to northern Nigeria should be done with utmost precautions as the region is sometimes prone to terrorism and kidnapping threats from groups such as Boko Haram in states such as Kaduna, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, and Adamawa.
Another region like the Niger Delta (except for Port Harcourt) should also be treated as same due to the prevalent kidnapping, civil unrest, and maritime crime.
4. Use Security Details If You Can Afford It
High-profile people, VIPs, or those simply looking for an extra level of comfort can hire private armed police escort services to keep them safe throughout their stay.
5. Don’t Look Like a Tourist
When you appear to be a tourist in any country, you open the door for opportunists to try to take advantage of you. Try not to make it obvious to those around you that you are seeing everything for the first time.
If you become disoriented, do not panic and do not appear to be disoriented. Instead, ask for directions calmly from someone at a nearby reputable business.
6. Do Not Keep All your Valuables in the Same Place
Losing your wallet in a foreign country can be devastating, especially if it contains all your money and ATM cards. In the unlikely event that your wallet is stolen, keeping some cash or a few backup credit cards in your hotel room is best.
7. Let Somebody Know About Your Movement
Even though it seems like a lot of work, it is crucial to let your family or friends know where you are at all times for your safety.
As a result, should something unexpected occur where you are, you are more likely to receive assistance sooner because they can give the appropriate authorities information about your location.
8. Explore during the day
It is best to visit an unfamiliar location during the day. Most travellers’ first port of call is the hotel, hostel, or where they intend to stay. It is best to arrive when you can see how it looks in daylight so that if you decide on the spot that it is unsafe, you can move around before it gets too dark.
Being alone at night, at home or abroad, is not entirely safe because that is when most criminal activities occur.
If you must travel at night, travel in groups.
9. Be Intuitive
If you ever feel unsafe where you are, find a way to get out of there, whether it’s a bar, a park, or a hostel.
10. Beware of Travel Scams
Nigerians are nice people, but some bad ones quickly identify tourists and exploit them by trying to trick or extort money from them.
Never believe you are too intelligent to be easily duped by others. Still, when you find yourself in a place completely unfamiliar with the culture and people, you will want to do anything to fit in or not trespass.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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