Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
Malaria
CDC puts malaria transmission in all areas of Nigeria and recommends that travellers take prescription medicine to prevent it. There is no altitude exemption and no exempt city — Lagos and Abuja are inside the risk area. P. falciparum is the main species, with P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax less common. The Government of Canada says malaria is a risk to travellers here and that antimalarial medication is recommended for most travellers.
Prevention Tablets for the whole trip, chosen against your itinerary and your other medicines. Plus bite prevention: covered skin, approved repellent, screened rooms, treated bed nets where mosquitoes cannot be excluded, and permethrin-treated clothing. The Government of Canada adds the part people forget — if malaria-like symptoms appear while you are away or up to a year after you return home, see a health care professional immediately and say where you have been.
Getting treated, and paying for it
The Government of Canada says health care quality varies significantly — generally good in certain private facilities in Abuja and Lagos, usually very limited or unavailable in rural areas. Facilities usually require an initial cash deposit, a payment guarantee or confirmation of medical insurance, and outside the major cities only a cash deposit is accepted. Serious illness or injury will likely require medical evacuation.
Prevention Travel insurance that explicitly covers medical evacuation and hospital stays, with the policy number and emergency line saved offline. Enough of your own medication for the whole stay, in the original container, in carry-on — the same source notes some prescription medications may not be available in Nigeria. Pack a real travel health kit, especially away from the main cities.
Roads
The Government of Canada describes road safety as poor throughout the country, with accidents common and armed robberies occurring on highways. It names insufficient lighting, vehicles driving without headlights, heavy motorcycle traffic, potholes, missing traffic signs and few working traffic lights. It also describes armed carjackings on urban and rural roads, of particular concern on roads leading to airports, on main highways between state capitals, in Abuja and Lagos, and on routes such as the Abuja–Kaduna highway. CDC notes motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of healthy travellers abroad.
Prevention No intercity driving after dark, and ideally no self-driving at all. Arrange transport through people who know the route. Seatbelts, including in the back.
Lassa fever
Both sources name it. The Government of Canada says Lassa fever is a risk in this country and the risk is low for most travellers; it is spread mainly by a rat found in parts of West Africa, through direct contact or by inhaling or touching the animal’s droppings, urine or saliva, and also through the blood or body fluids of infected people and contaminated food or household items. Most people infected have mild illness or none, but some become very sick. There is no vaccine.
Prevention Avoid rats and the places they nest. Keep food in rat-proof containers, keep the living space clean, and do not handle or eat rodents. Avoid close contact with anyone unwell with a fever until they have been assessed.
Schistosomiasis
A parasite picked up from fresh water — lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands. The Government of Canada says most travellers are at low risk but that travellers should avoid contact with untreated fresh water entirely, including swimming, bathing, wading and swallowing it, and states there is no vaccine or medication available to prevent infection. CDC frames it the same way, around wading, swimming, bathing or washing in contaminated fresh water.
Prevention No wading, swimming or bathing in lakes, rivers or ponds. Chlorinated pools are fine. If water for washing comes from a river or a pond, it wants boiling or treating first.
Dengue and chikungunya
The Government of Canada describes dengue risk in Nigeria as sporadic, varying by season, year, region and elevation, and notes the mosquitoes that carry it typically bite during the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset. It also says there is a risk of chikungunya, whose joint pain can last months or years. CDC describes an elevated chikungunya risk in Nigeria. There is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent dengue.
Prevention Repellent through the day, not only at dusk — CDC advises 20 per cent or more DEET for several hours of protection, and picaridin is a good alternative. Screens, sealed windows and long sleeves at the two ends of the day.
Animals, and rabies in particular
CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in Nigeria and that rabies is present in some wildlife. The Government of Canada adds bats and stresses that rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, and that it spreads through saliva — mainly bites, but scratches too.
Prevention No touching dogs, cats, monkeys or bats. Any bite, scratch or lick on broken skin: wash with soap and running water for a full fifteen minutes, then seek medical advice the same day. Do not wait to see how it looks tomorrow.
Avian influenza
The Government of Canada notes human cases of avian influenza have been reported in this destination and that the risk is low for most travellers.
Prevention Avoid contact with birds — wild, farm and backyard, alive or dead — and surfaces that may carry bird droppings. Live-bird markets are the obvious place to skip. Poultry, eggs and wild game cooked properly are fine.
