The United States has urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Nigeria and authorised the departure of non‑emergency U.S. government employees and their families from the embassy in Abuja, citing worsening security conditions in Africa’s most populous nation.
The embassy said separately that it had closed for visa appointments, but American citizen services were available in emergencies and by appointment. It did not give a reason for the closure or say how long it would last.
U.S. travel advisories often shape how investors, international organisations, and airlines assess country risk. The move to allow staff departures signals heightened concern in Washington as kidnappings, banditry, and attacks on security forces persist, particularly in northern Nigeria.
In an updated advisory issued late on Wednesday, the State Department kept Nigeria at Level 3: Reconsider Travel, but added Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba to the list of states Americans were warned not to visit. That puts 23 out of 36 of the country’s states in the “Do Not Travel” category.
The United States highlighted threats from Islamist insurgents in the north‑east, criminal gangs in the north‑west, and ongoing violence in parts of southern and south‑eastern Nigeria, including oil‑producing regions.
Nigeria’s information ministry said in a statement that the travel alert was guided by U.S. internal protocols and did not reflect the overall security situation across the country.
“While we acknowledge isolated security challenges in some areas, there is no general breakdown of law and order, and the vast majority of the country remains stable,” the statement said.
Last month, Washington warned of a “terrorist threat” against U.S. facilities and affiliated schools in Nigeria.
The United States reviews the advisory several times a year and has kept Nigeria at Level 3 or Level 4 for much of the past decade due to persistent insecurity.
The U.S. military has multiple MQ‑9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the military, which is fighting Islamist militants across the north.
Based on reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe for Reuters. Additional analysis by The Credibility News.
