US expands Nigeria travel warning, lets embassy staff leave Abuja

The United States has urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Nigeria and authorised the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families from the embassy in Abuja, citing worsening security conditions in Africa’s most populous nation.



The embassy said separately it had closed for visa appointments but American citizen services were available in emergencies and by appointment. It did not give a reason for the closure or say how long it would last.



U.S. travel advisories often shape how investors, international organisations and airlines assess country risk. The move to allow staff departures signals heightened concern in Washington as kidnappings, banditry and attacks on security forces persist, particularly in northern Nigeria.