Health
Travel Insurance
Get comprehensive travel insurance before you leave.
Your policy needs to cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation. The Australian Government won’t pay for these costs.
If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. This applies to everyone, no matter how healthy and fit you are.
If you’re not insured, you may have to pay many 1000s of dollars up-front for medical care.
Confirm:
- what activities and care your policy covers
- that your insurance covers you for the whole time you’ll be away
Physical and mental health
Consider your physical and mental health before you travel, especially if you have an existing medical condition. Consider whether you may be in a vulnerable category for COVID-19.
See your doctor or travel clinic to:
- have a basic health check-up
- ask if your travel plans may affect your health
- plan any vaccinations you need
Do this at least 8 weeks before you leave.
Medication
Not all medications available over the counter or by prescription in other countries is available in Nigeria. Some may even be considered illegal or a controlled substance, even if prescribed by your own country’s doctor.
If you plan to bring medication, check if it’s legal in Nigeria. Take enough legal medication for your trip. Do not assume the same medication will be available in Nigeria if your supply runs out.
Carry a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor stating:
- what the medication is
- how much you’ll take
- that it’s for personal use
Health risks
COVID-19
COVID-19 remains a risk in Nigeria.
For information on Nigeria’s COVID−19 vaccination program, refer to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control website or call their toll-free number: +234 (0) 800 970 0010. You should consult your local health professional for advice on vaccine options, including any assistance that may be available locally. The Australian Government cannot provide advice on the safety, quality, and efficacy of vaccines that have been approved for use outside of Australia’s regulatory process.
More information:
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is common in Nigeria.
Take precautions if you engage in activities that may expose you to the virus.
Insect-borne diseases
Yellow fever is common in Nigeria. Yellow fever is a potentially fatal virus spread by mosquitoes. It’s prevented by vaccination, which is also a requirement for entry. Get vaccinated before you leave.
Other common insect-borne diseases include:
To protect yourself from disease:
- make sure your accommodation is insect-proof
- use insect repellent
- wear long, loose, light-coloured clothes
- consider taking medicine to prevent malaria.
Get medical advice if you have a fever, muscle pain, rash or severe headache.
More information:
Other health risks
Lassa fever occurs in several states in Nigeria. Monitor local media and the World Health Organization for updates.
Lassa fever is spread through contact with rodents or body fluids of infected people. To protect yourself:
- avoid contact with rodents and their droppings
- keep food in clean, rodent-proof containers
- don’t eat any food if it could be contaminated
- avoid contact with the blood and body fluids of infected people
- avoid contact with items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (clothes, bedding, needles, medical equipment).
Monkeypox is transmitted to humans from animals, usually monkeys, rodents, and squirrels.
In areas where monkeypox occurs, avoid:
- contact with rodents and primates
- contact with people infected with monkeypox
- items that may have come in contact with an infected person.
Common waterborne, foodborne and other infectious diseases include:
Serious outbreaks sometimes occur.
To protect yourself from illness:
- drink boiled water or bottled water with sealed lids
- avoid ice cubes
- avoid raw and undercooked food, such as salads
- don’t swim in fresh water
Get medical advice if you have a fever or diarrhoea.
Medical care
Medical facilities
Medical facilities throughout Nigeria can be basic.
You may need to pay cash up-front before doctors and hospitals will treat you, even in an emergency.
If you’re seriously ill or injured, you’ll need evacuation to a place with better facilities. Medical evacuation can be very expensive.