 What you must know
 Health requirements
Before coming to Nigeria it is wise to go to your local physician in order to find out what possible vaccinations are obligatory, as it changes sometimes. Nevertheless, currently the only inoculation that is mandated by Nigerian Authorities is Yellow Fever. Other frequently recommended vaccinations include Tetanus, Hepatitis (A&B), Typhoid, Polio and Meningitis.
Lagos is considered a malarial high risk area and most foreigners take some form of malarial prophylactic. These usually need to be taken before arrival and continued several weeks after departure.
Currency
Nigeria's unit of currency is the Naira, which equals 100 Kobo (but you will never see a Kobo). The highest Naira note, 100Naira, was put into circulation in December 1999. Still, however, the most widely used are notes of 50 Naira and 20 Naira, which sometimes makes carrying around money a huge task.
Credit cards are not accepted anywhere except major hotels. Not even at hotels is it recommended to use them, though, as fraud is still an ongoing problem. Checks are accepted in most stores, but if you don't have a local bank account it will take up to one month to get it cleared and only then will you be allowed to take your purchase home. It is for this very reason that it is recommended to pay anything and everything with cash.
The Naira's exchange rate vacillates from $1=90Naira to $1=100Naira. The best is to change your dollars on the black market as it is usually the highest rate you can get. Few people will change their dollars in banks and hotels, since the exchange rate are exceedingly lower.
Visa requirements
Visas are required for all except nationals of ECOWAS countries. You cannot get visas at the border or on arrival at an airport. Moreover as it can take various days to get the visa, it is recommended to apply for one as early as possible.
What you need:
3 recent pictures$27 up to $214, depending on your nationalityan onward ticket a letter of invitation from a person/company in Nigeria or a letter detailing the reason why you want to visit Nigeria
Visas allow for a stay of up to one month and remain valid for three months from the date of issue not date of arrival. If you are need of an extension it is usually no problem obtaining it from the immigration department of the Federal Secretariat.
Customs
Nigerian customs can be a nightmare, whether you are entering or leaving. Two thorough searches of your baggage on entry and one on exit are considered normal. Although it is not as bad as it once was. Depending on the situation, a dash (bribe) can avoid any hassle. | | Post and communications |
Mail sent to and from Nigeria is notoriously slow. Therefore the best choice, if you are in grave need of sending something, is to use one of the major courier services such as Fed Ex, DHL or UPS, all of which have offices around Nigeria and are very reliable.
Communication in Nigeria is a nightmare, although it is said to be better than the postal service. In order to make a local call it can take up to one half an hour to get across to your caller. The line will be constantly busy or your will get a voice from NITEL inquiries stating "the number you have just dialed is not an existing number, please dial NITEL inquiries as 6196940 / 1, or try again later". The frustrating part is that, if you do finally decide to call the operator the same recorded voice can be heard.
International calls, funny enough, are easier to get through. It usually takes only four or five tries until you can get a line.
The country ode for Nigeria is 234; area codes include:
| Abuja | 09 | Lagos | 01 | Bauchi | 077 | Benin City | 052 | | Jos | 073 | Kaduna | 062 | Kano | 065 | | |
( Do not dial the 0 from outside Nigeria )
Transports
There are quite a number of ways of getting around the major cities. The preferred, safest and most reliable way is hiring a car with a personal driver. It won't cost more than 4000 Naira per day and you can be rest assured that the driver will know his way around and the will be at your disposal any time you need to move.
Taxis are also a possibility, but unfortunately they don't always know the streets well and won't have air conditioning in their car.
The yellow buses seen in Lagos are not recommended at all. They are unsafe and are packed with people, constantly stopping at each corner to pick up even more. They are uncomfortable and take forever to get you to your destination, if they do at all.
Finally the okada's, which are scooters that act like taxis, are the cheapest mode of transport and also probably the most enjoyable. They are not recommended as they are regarded as dangerous. However if you have a short distance to travel within Victoria Island or Ikoyi in Lagos, it is an experience you should not leave with out and it will help getting you to your destination quickly as you will avoid being stuck in traffic.
Public Holidays for the year 2000
| New Years Day | January 1 | | Id-el-Fitri | Jan 9 & 10 | | Id-el-Kabir | March 17 & 18 | | Good Friday | April 21 | | Easter Monday | April 23 | | Worker's Day | May 1 | | Children's Day | May 27 | | Id-el-Maulud | June 17 | | National Day | October 1 | | Christmas Day | December 25 | | Boxing Day | December 26 |
|
