A former Nigerian diplomat and security analyst have strongly criticised the latest travel advisory issued by the United States government, describing it as exaggerated, counterproductive, and based on outdated intelligence.
The advisory, released on July 15, 2025, by the U.S. Department of State, urged American citizens to reconsider travel to Nigeria due to widespread insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and poor healthcare infrastructure. Eighteen states were listed under the “Do Not Travel” category, including Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and northern Adamawa due to terrorism and kidnapping, and several southern states due to violent crime and armed gangs.
Reacting to the advisory, Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru, a retired Nigerian envoy, said the U.S. government has developed a pattern of issuing travel warnings that do little to improve security and instead damage Nigeria’s international reputation.
“It’s unfortunate that America has formed the habit of issuing advisory, sometimes in collaboration with its European partners. Unfortunately for them, none of the advisories has ever yielded any result,” Dahiru said in an interview last night.
He accused the U.S. of hypocrisy, pointing out that many of the threats cited in the advisory are more prevalent within America itself.
“It is only in America that you go to the restaurant to eat, you get shot and killed there. It is only in America that you go to the shopping mall to shop and you are killed there. I have not heard of any Nigerian or any foreigner that has been killed in a shopping mall in Nigeria,” he said.
Dahiru further alleged that the advisory was politically motivated and lacked sincerity.
“They are relying on outdated information or intelligence. They are also relying on beer parlor discussions. All the things they are talking about have not happened in Nigeria,” he said.
He also criticised the U.S. for failing to engage Nigerian authorities constructively.
“If America is sincere, if they observe certain things that are going wrong, it is for them to alert the Nigerian government so that the Nigerian government can take necessary measures to protect not only Nigerians but foreigners,” he said.
The former diplomat expressed concern over what he described as America’s double standards and its alliance with Israel, particularly in relation to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“They are collaborating with Israel to do whatever they want to do as if human life does not mean anything,” he said.
“There is absolutely no justification for issuing those spurious advisories, more especially when none of the advisories have resulted in any mishap or any tragedy in Nigeria.”
Security experts have also questioned the timing and scope of the advisory, warning that such alerts could strain diplomatic relations and discourage foreign investment.
The Nigerian government has yet to issue an official response to the latest advisory, but last month it publicly denounced a similar warning, insisting that Abuja remains safe for residents and visitors.
Security analyst faults travel advisory, warns of diplomatic fallout, economic risks
A leading Nigerian security analyst has criticized the latest travel advisory issued by the United States government, describing it as routine but damaging to Nigeria’s global image and diplomatic relations.
Speaking in an interview last night, Kabiru Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Consulting Limited, said the updated advisory–released by the U.S. State Department and published via its embassy in Abuja–was “a routine measure” based on collated security information ranging from environmental and political to health-related risks.
“Now, this latest alert, the major change we saw is on what they referred to as inconsistent availability of health care services,” Adamu said. “Everything kind of remained the same… but this particular reference has several implications for Nigeria.”
He listed four major consequences: public image damage, diplomatic strain, pressure on healthcare reform, and reputational harm to Nigeria’s struggling health sector.
“It reinforces the international perception of Nigeria as unsafe and lacking basic infrastructure. We could deter foreign investment and tourism,” he said.
Adamu noted that the advisory could discourage diaspora visits, increase insurance requirements, and heighten kidnap-for-ransom risks.
“We’re a bit disappointed because, like we showed in our June report, there has been a 79% decrease in kidnap-for-ransom cases in several parts of Nigeria. Unfortunately, this alert by the U.S. government did not take that into consideration.”
He warned that the advisory could raise risk premiums for international investors and create operational constraints for foreign visitors and supply chains.
“Where the alert indicated ‘do not travel’… and important business items are sourced from, it would have a serious impact on the ability of the supply chain to be maintained.”
Adamu also predicted ripple effects among other foreign missions.
“I won’t be surprised if over the coming days you see EU countries repeating similar alerts… Australia too may do the same thing. Japan may do the same thing, just following what the U.S. has done.”
He concluded by urging diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the U.S.
“This travel advisory does not depict a friendly country… I’m hoping the Nigerian government will engage better… so that future releases like this… can mellow it down.”
FG mum…
Despite repeated calls and text messages sent to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Ebienfa, no response was received regarding the ministry’s position on the latest U.S. travel advisory.
However, it may be recalled that last month, the Nigerian government openly criticised a similar advisory issued by the U.S. Embassy, which had cautioned its personnel against non-official visits to military and government facilities in Abuja, citing heightened global security concerns without specifying any local threat.
In response to that warning, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had stated that Abuja remains safe for both residents and visitors, affirming Nigeria’s respect for the right of foreign missions to issue advisories while stressing there was no cause for alarm.
On his part, when contacted last night for comments on the fresh travel advisory issued by the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said: “At this time, the ministry is reviewing the contents of the advisory and will respond accordingly.”
The travel advisory Travel
The advisory reads in part: “Do Not Travel to: Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and northern Adamawa states due to terrorism and kidnapping. Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states due to kidnapping. Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states (with the exception of Port Harcourt) due to crime, kidnapping, and armed gangs.
“Country Summary: Violent crime is common in the country. This includes armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking, roadside banditry, and rape.
“Kidnappings for ransom happen often. They primarily target dual national citizens visiting Nigeria and U.S. citizens perceived as wealthy. Kidnapping gangs have also stopped victims on interstate roads.”
On terrorism, the US government warned that there is risk of terrorist violence in Nigeria. This includes terrorist attacks and other activities.
“Armed crime and gangs are common in the area. Crimes include kidnapping and assaults on Nigerian security services,” it said, saying that violence can flare up between communities of farmers and herders in rural areas.
“Nigerian medical facilities are generally not equipped to U.S. or European standards. Many medicines are not available. This includes common medications for diabetes or asthma,” the government warned.
“Bring enough over-the-counter and prescription medicines to last your entire stay in Nigeria. Update vaccinations to include all standard vaccinations, plus yellow fever, meningitis, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and a polio booster.
“All visitors should take Malaria prophylaxis. Nigeria is high risk for Malaria. Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a common problem. Hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services.
“Most hospitals and doctors do not accept U.S. health insurance. Emergency services like those in the United States or Europe do not exist.Blood supply is often unreliable.
“Ambulance services are unreliable, have poor equipment, and often do not have trained paramedics. We strongly recommend getting traveler’s insurance, including medical evacuation insurance, before traveling.”
