U.S. Okays Partial Evacuation of Embassy Staff in Nigeria, Maintains Level 3 Travel Advisory

The United States, through its Department of State, has permitted the exit of non-emergency US government employees and family members from the U.S. Embassy, Abuja, and Nigeria in general, through a Travel Advisory Update issued on April 8, 2026, on the Department’s website. According to the release, the US Department of State mentioned that the update does not change Nigeria’s classification, which is at Level 3 – Reconsider Travel, implying that US citizens intending to travel to Nigeria should rethink their trip to the country, due to concerning crime rates and security unrest in the form of terrorism, kidnapping, and poor health amenities. The advisory also designated multiple Nigerian states as Level 4 – Do Not Travel. This includes states in Nigeria’s northeast; Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, and other states in the Northcentral and Southern region like Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, and Rivers (with the exception of Port Harcourt), due to crime, kidnapping, and unrest. 

According to the advisory, insecurity is widespread across the country, including “crime and kidnapping,” terrorism, and gang violence at different locations, armed robbery, and civil unrest. It also specifically warns American citizens of the deplorable state of healthcare in the country. In their words, “Nigerian medical facilities are generally not equipped to U.S. or European standards, and many medicines are not available, including common medications for diabetes or asthma.” While warning that Nigeria is a high-risk area for Malaria, drug counterfeiting, and unreliable emergency services, the warning recommends that citizens coming to Nigeria take malaria prophylaxis and get traveler’s insurance. 

It is worth noting that this update follows Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) five months ago, and roughly three months after the United States partially suspended visa applications for Nigerian citizens for ‘security reasons’. While the recent travel update from the US and the directive to US workers and citizens to evacuate Nigeria may point to the unabating security challenges in Nigeria, they also point to an ongoing trend of worsening diplomatic relations with the US under President Donald Trump. 

For some time now,  the United States interest in Nigeria has grown more complicated, beginning from President Trump’s declaration of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern on October 31, 2025. Although Christians in Northern Nigeria have repeatedly raised concerns about the distinct regional threats and vulnerabilities they face. The US however, has overgeneralised these security issues, presenting it as a catch-all explanation for the broader insecurity crisis across Nigeria, which is largely wrong. 

Moreso, one may be able to draw a line of connection between Nigeria’s recent political and economic posture on the international stage and President Trump’s persistent persecution. Nigeria has on several occasions taken an open anti-US and anti-Israel stance in relation to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Nigeria has also repeatedly and openly condemned “preemptive strikes” undertaken by Israel against the Iran, condemned damages and violence committed against Palestinians in the course of US-Israel military occupations, and voted in support of a two-state solution proposed towards ending the conflict, a resolution against which the US voted. 

On the economic scale, Nigeria has sought to maintain an ‘open-to-all’ approach for economic ties, maintaining bilateral relations with China and participating in multilateral blocs such as BRICS-adjacent initiatives. Arguably, all these can be said to have struck the wrong chord with the US and President Trump, who has stepped up his anti-Nigerian rhetoric, even to the point of branding Nigerian media as a source of fake news. 

Ultimately, while concessions can be made regarding the US Department of State’s warning on Nigeria’s security failure, the continued political assault and victimization of Nigeria by the White House strongly implies  an underlying, and insincere undertone of disapproval towards  Nigeria’s international posture. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s security breakdown exposes Nigeria’s soft underbelly, making Nigeria’s challenge a pretext for Donald Trump’s diversionary antics.