Getting Around Nigeria
- Country Nigeria
- Guide Flight Planning
- Reviewed 20 August 2026
- Length 1 min read
Credit Fachab, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Last reviewed 20 August 2026
Getting around Nigeria is done in yellow minibuses called danfo, in three wheeled keke napep, and in shared cars that leave a motor park when they are full. It works, and it is how almost everybody travels.
The part that cannot be separated from it is security. Criminal groups kidnap victims by stopping cars on major highways, and road travel at night carries particular risk.
Roads and the time of day
Where you go and when you go are the two decisions that matter most, and they matter more than which vehicle you take.
Night travel by road carries materially higher risk. Curfews and restrictions on vehicle movement are imposed, amended and lifted at short notice throughout Nigeria, and failing to observe one puts you at significant risk of arrest and detention. Check locally rather than assuming yesterday's position still holds.
If you are moving around
- Avoid road travel after dark wherever the journey can be made in daylight.
- Check for curfews before you set out, with local authorities or someone with local knowledge.
- Arrange transport through your accommodation or a known operator rather than hailing it.
- Vary your routine if you are staying anywhere for a while.
- Do not photograph government buildings, military installations or airports. It may lead to arrest.
- Check local conditions for every state on your route, not only your destination.