The United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its Nigeria travel advice on Thursday, August 20, 2026, warning British citizens against all travel to six Nigerian states due to security risks. The advisory covers four northeastern states and two northwestern states, with a separate, less severe warning for a larger portion of the country.
Full List of States Under UK Travel Ban
The FCDO advised British nationals against all travel to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and Gombe, all located in Nigeria's northeast, as well as Katsina and Zamfara in the northwest. According to the advisory, these areas pose significant security threats that make travel unsafe for UK citizens.
Beyond these six states, the FCDO issued a second category of warning covering a broader region. The office told citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, and Sokoto in the north, as well as Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, Kwara, and Benue in the north-central region. In the south, the advisory extended to Abia, Anambra, and Imo states, along with the non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states.
Separate Warning for Riverine Areas
A separate designation applied to the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. The FCDO advised against all travel entirely to these riverine zones, placing them on the same level as the six states named in the northeast and northwest. The advisory said its travel advice is designed to help British nationals weigh up security conditions before making plans to visit different parts of Nigeria.
The six states the UK warned its citizens against travelling to are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina, and Zamfara.
Broader Context of International Travel Warnings
Previously, the United States Department of State updated its global travel advisory, classifying 23 nations under Level 4: Do Not Travel, the most severe category in its travel advisory system. The warning was announced through the department's official TravelGov X account, where it stressed that the affected destinations pose extreme security risks or have limited capacity for the US government to provide consular assistance. The department added a blunt warning: "These places are dangerous. Do not go for ANY reason."
