The United Kingdom has updated its travel advice for Nigeria, maintaining its strongest warning against travel to six entire states while extending the same warning to specific riverine areas in five other states.

The latest guidance from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) was updated on August 20, 2026. It also advises against all but essential travel to 13 additional states, parts of three states and the Federal Capital Territory, including Abuja.

The FCDO advises British nationals against all travel to:

- Borno
- Yobe
- Adamawa
- Gombe
- Katsina
- Zamfara

The warning also covers riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

The UK defines the affected riverine locations as river and swamp areas that are accessible by boat but not by road. This means the warning does not apply to every part of those five states.

A second category covers locations where the FCDO advises British citizens to undertake all but essential travel. This includes Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, Kwara, Benue, Abia, Anambra and Imo states.

The same advice applies to non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, including Abuja.

The FCDO also reminds travellers that no journey can be guaranteed to be safe and recommends researching destinations and obtaining appropriate travel insurance.

It warns that insurance policies could be affected if travellers deliberately travel against FCDO advice.

The advisory is primarily directed at British nationals and people travelling under UK travel guidance. It is not a Nigerian government travel ban and does not prevent British citizens from entering the listed areas.

For travellers, however, the distinction between the two categories is important.

An “against all travel” warning represents the UK's highest level of regional travel caution.

An “against all but essential travel” warning means travel is not completely ruled out under the advisory, but the UK considers the security risks sufficiently serious that trips should only be undertaken when necessary.

The warnings can therefore affect how British travellers assess holidays, business trips, family visits and other journeys in Nigeria.

The insurance warning is also significant because travellers who ignore official advice may face restrictions under the terms of some travel insurance policies.

Is the UK warning against travel to 11 whole states?

No.

This is the most important clarification.

Six entire states — Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara — are listed under the strongest warning.

The other five states are only represented by specified riverine areas.

Therefore, describing the advisory simply as a warning against travel to “11 Nigerian states” can give the impression that the UK has placed all 11 states under a blanket travel ban.

It has not.

What about Abuja?

The FCDO places the Federal Capital Territory, including Abuja, in the “all but essential travel” category.

That is different from the “against all travel” category.

Why are these areas subject to travel warnings?

The FCDO's regional-risk guidance identifies several security concerns in Nigeria, including terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime and intercommunal violence.

For the North-East, the UK specifically identifies threats associated with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, alongside kidnapping and other security risks.

The FCDO also identifies security risks in parts of the North-West, North-Central and South-South regions.

Is the August 20 update a completely new travel ban?

Not necessarily.

The geographical restrictions in the latest advice substantially overlap with restrictions contained in earlier versions of the UK's Nigeria travel guidance.

Therefore, the significant development is the August 20 update of the advisory, rather than evidence that Britain suddenly imposed all of these restrictions for the first time on that date.

That distinction is important when reporting the story.

Does the advisory apply to Nigerians?

No. The guidance is issued by the UK government for people considering travel to Nigeria, particularly British nationals.

It does not impose restrictions on Nigerian citizens travelling within Nigeria.

The UK regularly reviews travel advice as security conditions change.

Its Nigeria guidance covers more than regional security. The advisory also contains information on entry requirements, health, how travellers can obtain help and other issues relevant to people travelling to the country.

The current regional warnings reflect the UK's assessment that security risks vary significantly between parts of Nigeria.

This is why the advisory divides the country into different categories rather than applying one nationwide warning.

Some states are subject to the strongest warning, some to an “essential travel only” recommendation, while other parts of Nigeria remain outside those particular regional restrictions.

The FCDO's Nigeria travel advice remains subject to further updates as the UK government reviews security and other conditions.

Travellers planning to visit Nigeria should therefore check the latest FCDO guidance before departure rather than relying on an older version of the advisory.

The immediate point from the August 20 update is that the UK continues to classify several parts of Nigeria as areas where it considers travel particularly risky, while the exact geographical boundaries of those warnings differ by state.

The headline figure of “11 states” needs context: six states are covered in their entirety by the UK's strongest travel warning, while five others are covered only in specified riverine areas.

The broader advisory also places 15 additional states, parts of three states and the FCT under an “all but essential travel” recommendation. The next changes will depend on how the UK assesses security and other travel risks in Nigeria.