Getting in and visas for Nigeria

Rainy day at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos Most travellers will need a visa and these can be tricky to get. In 2007, the Nigerian government refused a visa for Bill Gates [2], wanting proof he would not stay and become a drain on their welfare system.

By plane

• International airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt.

• Nigerian Airlines; Virgin Nigeria and Bellview Airlines make local and international flights (to other African countries and London)

• Several European airlines fly to Nigeria: British Airways (London Heathrow - Abuja, Lagos), Virgin Atlantic (London Heathrow - Lagos), KLM (Amsterdam - Abuja, Lagos, Kano), Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle - Lagos), Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa - Abuja, Lagos), Turkish Airline (Istanbul - Lagos), Lufthansa (Frankfurt - Abuja, Lagos), Iberia Airlines (Madrid - Lagos)

• Airline from the United States; North American Airlines (Baltimore/Washington, New York-JFK - Lagos), Delta Air Lines (Atlanta - Lagos from 3-Dec-07)

• Other Inter Continental Airlines fly to Lagos. They include; China Southern Airlines (Beijing, Dubai), Emirates (Dubai), Middle East Airlines (Beirut), Qatar Airways (Doha)

• Besides these, there are other airlines (in addition to VNA and Bellview) that operate domestic and regional flights to places like Abidjan, Accra, Banjul, Conakry, Dakar, Douala, Freetown, Johannesburg, Libreville, Monrovia.

• Currently Port Harcourt international is closed for rehabilitation works.
• There are also airports in most states of the federation and local air travel is widespread.

By train

• Most of the trains in Nigeria are for transporting cargo.
• The new president, Yar'adua, however, says that he plans to invest and aggressively pursue a nationwide train network which should be ready by 2011.
• At the moment it is not advisable to travel on train especially if you are foreign national.

By bus

Getting around is relatively easy, except that there could be delays due to traffic jams within most major cities. There are multitudes of coaches and buses that will take you to any part of Nigeria you wish (ABC Transport Services is well known for its services among others). Lagos state government also operates a transit system (BRT buses) which serves the Lagos metropolis.

By boat

Transport by boat isn't widespread unless you venture into the riverine areas of Nigeria.