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Information Pays> Afrique de l’Ouest > Nigeria Travel
Advice General Warning Nigeria has limited tourist facilities and conditions pose considerable risks to travelers. Violent crime, committed by persons in police and military uniforms, as well as by ordinary criminals, is an acute problem throughout the country. Kidnapping for ransom of persons associated with the petroleum sector is increasingly common in the southeast region of Nigeria. Use of public transportation throughout Nigeria, including taxis, is dangerous and should be avoided. Nigerian airlines have aging fleets, and the U.S. Embassy in Lagos is concerned that maintenance and operational procedures may be inadequate to ensure passenger safety. Business, charity and other scams target foreigners worldwide and pose danger of financial loss. Recipients pursuing such fraudulent offers risk physical harm if they come to Nigeria. Persons contemplating business deals are strongly urged to check with their local Department of Commerce before providing any information, making any financial commitments or traveling to Nigeria. An invitation to enter Nigeria without a visa is normally indicative of illegal activity. Under no circumstances should you travel to Nigeria without a valid visa. Country Description Nigeria is a developing west African country that has experienced political instability, but which has an emerging internal infrastructure. Entry Requirements A passport and visa, which must be obtained in advance, are required. Promises of entry into Nigeria without a visa are credible indicators of a fraudulent commercial scheme in which the perpetrators seek to exploit the foreign traveler's illegal presence in Nigeria with threats of extortion or bodily harm. Travellers cannot legally depart Nigeria unless they can prove, by presenting their entry visas, that they entered Nigeria legally. Entry information may be obtained at your nearest Nigerian embassy or consulate. Safety & Security Nigeria has experienced civil unrest, violence and strikes. The causes and locations vary. Locations where outbreaks of violence have occurred include the Lagos area, southwestern Nigeria, the oil-producing states in the southeast, and Kaduna state. There has been an increase in the number of unauthorized vehicle checkpoints. These checkpoints are operated by armed bands of police, soldiers, or bandits posing as or operating with police or soldiers. Many incidents, including murder, illustrate the increasing risks of road travel in Nigeria. Reports of threats against firms and foreigners associated with the petroleum sector recur from time to time. In the past, Chadian troop incursions have occurred at the border area in the far northeast, near Lake Chad. Incidents have also occurred in the southeast in the disputed Bakassi Peninsula at the border area between Nigeria and Cameroon. Tensions resulting from fuel and electricity shortages, and the delayed process of transition from military rule to an elected government may result in further unrest and disturbances. Travellers should be extra cautious in late May and early June around the times of the May 29, 1999 Presidential inauguration, and the June 12 anniversary of the 1993 annulled presidential election. In the oil-producing region of the Niger River Delta, incidents of foreigners being held hostage for ransom are becoming increasingly frequent. As a matter of policy, most Governments will not pay ransom or make other concessions to kidnappers; therefore, the ability to assist those taken hostage may be limited. Due to security concerns within the city of Lagos, Embassy employees must notify the Embassy in advance before leaving Victoria, Ikoyi, and Lagos Islands on the city's coast, where the Embassy and Embassy residences are located. In addition, the Embassy advises its employees against visiting Lagos Island or mainland Lagos after dark. Embassy employees are required to travel in armored vehicles between the islands and Murtala Mohammed International Airport, and when traveling to the airport at night, Embassy policy requires that they be accompanied by a police officer. Information on Crime Violent crime affecting foreigners is a serious problem, especially in Lagos and the southern half of the country. Visitors and resident Americans report armed muggings, assaults, burglary, kidnappings, carjackings and extortion, often involving violence. Carjackings, roadblock robberies and armed break-ins occur often; assailants sometimes shoot victims for no apparent reason. Law enforcement authorities usually respond to crimes slowly, if at all, and provide little or no investigative support to victims. While tighter security measures have largely eliminated the danger of pickpockets and con artists inside Murtala Muhammed Airport, such persons are still commonly found outside the terminal building in the parking lot. The loss or theft abroad of a passport should be reported immediately to local police and to the nearest Embassy or Consulate. Commercial Fraud A major and continuing problem is the commercial scam or sting that targets foreigners. Such scams may involve illegal activity, resulting in arrest, extortion or bodily harm. The scams generally involve phony offers of either outright money transfers or lucrative sales or contracts with promises of large commissions or up-front payments. Alleged deals frequently invoke the authority of one or more ministries or offices of the Nigerian government and may even cite by name the support of a Nigerian government official. The apparent use in some scams of actual government stationery, seals, and offices is grounds for concern that some individual Nigerian officials may be involved in these activities. The ability of national Governments to extricate citizens from unlawful business deals and their consequences is extremely limited. Since the mid-1990s, several "victims" of scams have been arrested by police officials and held for varying periods. Nigerian police do not always inform the relevant Government. Medical Facilities Medical facilities in Nigeria are limited and medicines are often unavailable. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Medical Insurance Check with your own insurance company to confirm whether your policy applies overseas, including provision for medical evacuation. Ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas hospital or doctor or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death. Traffic Safety & Road Conditions The information below concerning Nigeria is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance. Safety of Public Transportation: Poor Roads are generally in poor condition, causing damage to vehicles and contributing to hazardous traffic conditions. Excessive speed, unpredictable driving habits, and the lack of basic maintenance and safety equipment on many vehicles are additional hazards. There are few traffic lights or stop signs. Motorists seldom yield the right-of-way and give little consideration to pedestrians and cyclists. Gridlock is common in urban areas. The rainy season from May to October is especially dangerous because of flooded roads. Night driving should be avoided for several reasons. Bandits and police roadblocks are more numerous at night. Streets are very poorly lit and many vehicles are missing one or both headlights. Chronic fuel shortages have led to long lines at service stations which have disrupted or even blocked traffic for extended periods. Public transportation vehicles are both unsafe and overcrowded. Passengers in local taxis have been driven to secluded locations where they are attacked and robbed. Several of the victims have required hospitalization. The Embassy advises that public transportation throughout Nigeria is dangerous and should be avoided. Air Travel Nigerian airlines have aging fleets and limited technical capabilities and face serious financial difficulties. Maintenance and operational procedures are ofteninadequate to ensure passenger safety. Some multinational corporations maintain contracts with private air charter companies as an alternative to having their employees use Nigerian airlines. As recently as mid-1998 there were reports of problems with the quality of aviation fuel throughout the country despite assurances from airline officials that all precautions have been taken to guarantee fuel quality. Problems with aircraft fuel availability sometimes cause delays or flight cancellations on domestic airlines. Photography Restrictions Permission is required to take photographs of government buildings, airports, bridges or official-looking buildings. Permission may be obtained from Nigerian security personnel. Currency Regulations Credit cards are rarely accepted outside of major hotels. Due to the prevalence of credit card fraud in Nigeria and credit card fraud by Nigerians, credit card use is generally ill-advised. It is usually necessary to bring sufficient travelers checks and/or currency to cover the expenses of a planned visit. It is rare for banks to cash travelers checks. American Express does not have office in Nigeria although Thomas Cook does. Interbank transfers are often difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish. Criminal Penalties While in a foreign country travellers are subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in your national country. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than at home for similar offenses. Persons violating Nigerian law, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Nigeria are strictly enforced. Those arrested routinely face prolonged detention before trial, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines. Tips for Business Travelers to Nigeria Protecting Yourself from Business Scams A major development affecting business travelers to Nigeria is commercial fraud or scams. Identifying Business Opportunities Nigeria is an oil-rich West African nation of about 88 million inhabitants. It offers the experienced and determined businessperson a potentially rewarding business opportunity. As in any market, results are usually obtained through solid research and hard work. The business opportunity that arrives on a silver platter carried by a stranger should be rigorously evaluated by an objective and disinterested party. Your local Department of Commerce and your national Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, can provide some useful initial information. For example, if you have received a proposal for a business transaction from Nigeria that seems too good to be true, it may be a scam. You can fax a request for verification of the bona fides of your correspondent. Your fax should include copies of any correspondence you have received from your Nigerian counterpart. Recognizing a Business Scam Each week Embassies in Lagos, Nigeria handles several "scam" cases in which businesspeople, many of them experienced in overseas transactions, have lost to confidence operators sums ranging from a few thousand to upwards of one million dollars. Frequently, persons who have come to Nigeria to "finalize" such deals have been threatened or assaulted; in a few cases, scam victims have been killed. Unfortunately, local police and other officials have not provided assistance to those caught up in scams. Caution, therefore, should be exercised when contemplating any business deal in Nigeria. Scams range from attempts to engage businesspeople in fictitious money-transfer schemes to fraudulent solicitations to supply goods in fulfillment of nonexistent Nigerian government contracts. Many scam operators are very sophisticated and may take victims to staged meetings, often held in borrowed offices at Nigerian government ministries. They do their research and can often provide plausible, but nonexistent, orders, written on seemingly genuine Ministerial stationery, replete with official stamps and seals. Simply stated, Nigerian business scams are not always easy to recognize, and any unsolicited business proposal should be carefully scrutinized. There are, nevertheless, some indicators that are warnings of a probable scam. Look out for:
The indicators listed above are some of the most common and reliable hallmarks of Nigerian scam operations. The list is not all-inclusive, and scam operators are constantly weaving new elements into their schemes. The best rule to follow is that any unsolicited business proposal originating from Nigeria be carefully checked out before any funds are commited, or any goods or services are provided, or any travel is undertaken. "How Do the Scams Work?" Nigerian business scams are confidence schemes, designed to exploit the trust you develop in your Nigerian partner and to bilk you of goods, services or money. The scams are flexible, and operators adapt them to take the greatest advantage of the target (you). It is not possible to describe here how each of several hundred different scams works, but here are brief descriptions of the most common schemes. Money Transfer:The operator claims to have a large sum of money, usually millions of dollars worth of ill-gotten gains, which needs to be transferred to a "safe" bank account abroad. The Central Bank of Nigeria is often, though by no means always, mentioned. You, as the bank account owner, are promised a percentage of the huge sum, just for use of your account. You may be asked to provide blank, signed invoices, letterhead and bank account information, or to send money for transfer taxes. Some businesses have found their accounts looted by the persons to whom they sent account information. Fraudulent Order: The operator usually places a small ($1000 or so) order, paying with a genuine cashier's check drawn on a European bank. The operator then places another, somewhat larger order, again paying with a genuine instrument. Then, you receive an order by DHL. Your Nigerian partner urgently needs a large quantity of your product air-shipped. Confident in your partner, you ship, but, this time, the cashier's check (which looks the same) is fake. Experienced businesspeople today usually require either full payment in advance of shipment or an irrevocable letter of credit confirmed by a bank. Charitable Donation: The operator offers to make a donation to your organization, asking for bank account information (see Money Transfer, above). Then, the operator loots your account or asks for advance payment of a fee to ensure conversion of naira into dollars. Contract: The operator claims to have a Nigerian government contract and needs your company's expertise to carry out the job. The operator scams you by collecting thousands of dollars in "fees" before you can do business. When fees are legitimate, they are published by Ministries and do not exceed $215. Crude Oil: The operator claims to have an allocation of crude oil to sell you - cheap. Sometimes, the operator claims to be working on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Then come demands for various fees to supply you with the crude; of course, you never get your cargo. The Crude Oil Marketing Division of the NNPC is the only authorized seller of the Corporation's crude. Businesses lacking experience with Nigeria's petroleum industry should approach with great caution any proposal involving crude oil sales. Business Opportunity: The operator convinces you to explore a business opportunity by visiting Nigeria. Once you arrive, the operator takes charge of your life, trying to keep you from contacting friends, family or your Embassy. By various means, sometimes including violence or threats of violence, the operator extracts money from you. This type of scam becomes particularly dangerous for a victim who has entered Nigeria without a valid Nigerian visa, issued by a Nigerian Embassy or Consulate. All travelers must have a visa prior to arrival in Nigeria and must pass through immigration formalities upon entry into the country. Letters addressed to immigration officials have no validity. Anyone telling you otherwise is either misinformed or a scam artist. "How Can I Check Out a Business Proposal?" Contact the Nigeria Desk Officer at your local Embassy or at the Department of Commerce. "What If I Think I am Already Involved in a Scam?" Contact the Nigeria Desk Officer at your local Embassy or at the Department of Commerce. You may also wish to contact the local police, as well, if threats have been made against you. General Travel Information Note Always leave a copy of your itinerary with someone. Before you leave,
check for current information on Nigeria. Upon arrival in Nigeria,
check in with your local national Embassy in Lagos. |
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