Today I will not tell you any stories. There have been several e-mails that I have received asking for information in any form in Nigeria. Therefore, I will try to resolve all current and future doubts in this mini guide.
The first thing to do to enter Nigeria is get a visa. There is no “visa on arrival” as in many countries. You have to go to the Nigerian embassy. Prices vary greatly, but there are always important requirements. Invitation letter The Nigerian company or agent must write a letter to the Nigerian Embassy stating inviting you to enter the country, while taking responsibility for all your actions.
The days for visas are only Monday and Wednesday, and to pick them up are Wednesday and Friday. It takes two days to do it. But lately, they have placed more obstacles and taken much longer time.
We advise you to take a direct flight to Lagos. The first thing is filling out forms with your data. Hotel address, day of stay, reason, and Nigerian telephone number. +234 80 (and 8 other numbers), if you have it great, if not, create it. The tail is quite boring, so equip yourself with patience. Don’t worry about checked bags, they need more time to check out than check the entire visa line. The cart is rented, you have to pay. They are usually 2,000 nairas (12 dollars). Prepare your yellow fever vaccination card, they will ask for it (or not, this is a lottery). If you want to return to your beloved country, local flight in Nigeria is an interesting point.
It is common that those who carry trolleys offer ysou that for 60 USD you get rid of the police inspection. As long as you don’t wear anything strange, it doesn’t matter to you. I never pay and let me ignore people and they never open anything for me.
As soon as you leave your baggage claim, all Nigerians will pounce on you. They offer you a taxi. Taxis to Victoria Island and its surroundings are usually the same 5,000 nairas (27 dollars) from Abuja airport to the city. If you go to the Sheraton in Lagos it must be 2,000 nairas, very close.
The convenient thing is to bring closed transportation. We have trusted the taxi at the embassy that for 13,000 nairas per day (68 dollars) will take you wherever you want. Including going looking for you at the airport. There are no written laws, but if you hire a chauffeur service, you must give 2,000 nairas as a tip. As soon as you see the traffic you will understand.
At this point, many of you are more concerned with security than anything else. Well, what I always say: no one can think of getting into your city’s worst neighborhood at night, right? The same thing in Lagos. As long as you are careful, nothing will happen. At night you do not have to leave the following areas: Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikoyi. This is the safest area in the city at night. Besides traveling is not recommended. There are no sidewalks, that’s one reason, but security is another.
By the way, at night, the police always set controls in strategic areas. You don’t have to stop. You don’t have to pay anything to them. They can ask you for money, but continue with a smile that says “Not today”. They will understand. That is normal.
Continuing security, during the day you can get lost in Lagos which will not happen to you. Wherever you go, the driver / taxi will leave you at the door, and he will look for a place. When you want to leave, he will wait for you to leave, or ask for his telephone number to call him.
But to summarize in terms of security, calm down. Things happen, I won’t deny it. But as long as you are careful and calm, nothing will happen. And it’s always good to have a few nairas in more pockets, more friends are bought if you end up giving a tip.
