FAQ · Politics & Government 29

From 1 December 2025, passengers flying into or out of Nigeria pay an additional security levy of 11 dollars and 50 cents on each ticket, introduced by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Daily Trust reported that the charge sits apart from the existing 20 dollar security charge and other Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria fees, and that it funds the Advance Passenger Information System for airport security and border control. The authority said the fee runs for 20 years, supports a single-window platform for airport agencies, and is collected by airlines when the ticket is sold and then remitted to the authority. The system, run with the Nigeria Immigration Service, is meant to clear passengers by processing traveller data before arrival. Infants, diplomats, airline crew on duty, and passengers hit by involuntary rerouting or a transfer within 24 hours are exempt. With the new charge, the security tax on tickets issued in Nigeria rises to 31 dollars and 50 cents, and the authority expected about 46 million dollars a year for airport security and management systems.

At the National Tourism Security and Technology Conference 2026 in Abuja, the president of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, Aliyu Ajayi Badaki, described tourism policing as specialised security meant to protect tourists, tourism facilities, workers, cultural heritage sites, and tourism communities. He recommended that Nigeria establish a National Tourism Police Unit with trained personnel dedicated to tourism destinations, and he also called for tourism safety operations centres in every state. Other recommendations he listed were a national tourism emergency response framework, closer work among security agencies, state governments, communities and the private sector, and regular security training for police officers, park rangers, tour guides, hotel staff and transport operators. The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, told the same meeting that tourism growth depends on safe environments and pledged that the Nigeria Police Force would keep working with the tourism ministry, other security agencies, state governments and private operators. The New Telegraph account records that national unit as a recommendation Badaki put to the conference, and it does not describe such a unit as already operating. The Nigeria Immigration Service, also at the meeting, said it balances border security with facilitation through smart border management, biometrics, digital visas and migration intelligence.

A Docufy guide says Nigeria does not issue apostilles because it is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so a document for use abroad is authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead. The same guide says a notary can come first and the receiving country may add its own step, while also saying it found no rule that the ministry requires a notary before authentication. Where both Nigerian steps are wanted, it suggests a notary public, then ministry authentication, then any further step the receiving embassy or authority requests. It says the ministry service covers business, educational and legal documents, with typical uses in immigration, study, work and legal proceedings. It cites the Notaries Public Act of 2023 for affidavits, identity checks and signatures, including remote audio-visual notarisation by notaries registered for that work. It also notes that the ministry page publishes no fee and no processing time, and it tells readers to ask the office rather than rely on a figure from somewhere else.

The Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate is a technical arm of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, created to tighten oversight of food and cut food-safety harm to public health. It began work in April 2013, with headquarters on the second floor of the NAFDAC office complex at Plot 1, Isolo Industrial Estate, on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Isolo, Lagos, plus a satellite office in Abuja, and its work covers the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Its stated mandate is that food manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, advertised, sold and used in Nigeria should meet the highest safety and quality that can reasonably be achieved, while still offering good nutrition. The directorate runs six divisions covering inspection of medium enterprises and agricultural products, food safety and Codex, food evaluation and quick-service restaurants, packaged water, bakery products, and nutrition. Its work includes good-manufacturing-practice checks on food and water plants, supermarket inspections before global listing licences, and export checks on processed and semi-processed agricultural foods. It also serves as Nigeria's emergency contact for the International Food Safety Authorities Network and helps anchor Codex Alimentarius work on international food standards.

The Drug Registration and Regulatory Affairs Directorate of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control handles registration of human and veterinary drugs and vaccines, biologics, medical devices, cosmetics, household products and agrochemicals. Its drug registration division issues marketing authorisation and post-registration variation approvals for locally made and imported drugs and for herbal and nutraceutical products, and written enquiries use the drugregistration mailbox at nafdac dot gov dot ng. The directorate lists a path that starts with an application letter, a profile on the dossier system and on NAPAMS, a product dossier for pre-submission checks, and then a completed online form. It says documents are verified within 10 days, that facility inspection and sampling for drug products can take up to 20 days, and that laboratory analysis is done within 30 days after samples are requested. Dossier review is listed as 20 days, followed by final vetting, and an approval meeting that issues the certificate of registration within a further 20 days. The same directorate also drafts regulations, clears advertisements, acts as the national advisory board for vaccines and biologicals, and can grant emergency-use authorisation.

The Nigeria Immigration Service contact page says inquiries and requests for assistance can be sent through the options it lists, and that the service will respond within 48 hours. Complaints and enquiries go to nis dot servicom at nigeriaimmigration dot gov dot ng and to support at newworkssolution dot com, or by phone on +234-912-1477-092. Visa enquiries go to oa at nigeriaimmigration dot gov dot ng and cis-evisa at immigration dot gov dot ng, or on +234-705-3401-399. An expired passport is handled through expiredppt at immigration dot gov dot ng or +234-912-2785-603. Landing and exit cards are handled through entrycards at immigration dot gov dot ng and exitcards at immigration dot gov dot ng, or on +234-912-1556-359. The page does not name a separate foreign-visitor counter, so these published lines are the help routes it offers.

When something goes wrong on a trip, Leadway Assurance tells customers to contact the company at once, whether the problem is lost bags, a medical emergency or a delayed flight, using the contact details printed on the insurance document. The company says a team is available day and night by phone or email. The first email should attach the travel insurance certificate, travel documents and a copy of the international passport, and hospital papers if there was treatment, with clear copies rather than a special format. After those papers arrive, the team may ask for more documents, which the guide calls a normal part of checking the claim. If the claim is approved, Leadway asks for bank details so it can pay the customer, or it may pay the hospital or another service provider directly. The guide lists the phones 02-012800700, 07080627000 and +234 9028683069, and it says the company is authorised and regulated by the National Insurance Commission under LIC 002.

A DoctorOnTap checklist for medical visas from Nigeria says diagnostic reports should be recent, within 3 to 6 months, clearly dated, and written in English, with a certified translation if the original is not in English. It also asks for a referral or summary from the Nigerian treating physician on hospital or clinic letterhead, stating the diagnosis, treatment history, why an overseas referral is sought, and the proposed treatment, and it says the letter must carry the doctor's MDCN registration number. For India, the same page says reports must be in English or have a certified English translation and be dated within 6 months. A later answer on the page repeats that medical records should be in English or have a certified English translation, and should include the diagnostic reports, imaging and lab results that relate to the condition. The page treats those English records as supporting papers for a hospital invitation letter, which it calls the document embassies use to tell a medical visa from a tourist visa. It says requirements change and should be checked with the embassy before an application is sent.

Find My Method says an emergency contraceptive pill is meant to stop pregnancy before it starts, is not the same as an abortion pill, and can work for up to 5 days, or 120 hours, after unprotected sex depending on the type. The same page says the pills are available at pharmacies, clinics and hospitals in Nigeria, that no prescription is required, and that there is no age restriction. It puts the cost at around 1,200 Nigerian naira and names DKT Postpill as the most widely available brand. For more information it lists Whispa on +2348094477226 from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, Marie Stopes Nigeria on the short code 22252 and the toll-free line +2348000022252, and a DKT text line at 38350. It also lists a Honey and Banana hotline on 55059.

OSPRE describes itself as Nigeria's national centre for early warning and response coordination, combining satellite intelligence, community reports and machine learning. It sorts alerts as critical, high, medium or low, with a critical alert defined as an immediate threat to life that needs an urgent federal response. The page says verified alerts go to relevant agencies, state governments and community leaders within 60 minutes of confirmation. Those alerts are sent by dashboard, SMS, email, WhatsApp and USSD for places with weak connectivity. A national operations centre in Abuja is described as working around the clock, with a published phone of +234 706 2388 881. The page describes those messages as going to agencies, state governments and community leaders, not as a nationwide text to every handset.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Oyo State Command, marked International Civil Defence Day 2026 at its headquarters in Ibadan, with Commandant Augustine Padonu stressing disaster management, environmental protection and public safety. Tribune Online reported that the day is observed on 1 March and that the 2026 theme was managing environmental risks for a resilient and sustainable future, citing flooding, erosion, fire, pollution and climate change. Padonu said the corps mandate covers disaster management, protection of critical national assets, emergency response and community engagement, not only physical security. He said the Oyo command has been building that capacity through regular training, simulation exercises and partnerships. He also said the command stays committed to early-warning advocacy, enforcement of safety rules and rapid response to environmental emergencies. He asked residents to dispose of waste properly, protect drains, avoid bush burning and report environmental hazards promptly.

On 13 November 2026 the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice for Nigeria, updated on 10 November 2026, still warned against all travel to some parts and against all but essential travel to others. It says travel insurance could be invalidated if you go against that advice. All travel is advised against for Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe in the north east, for Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto in the north west, and for the riverine, boat-only areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. All but essential travel is advised against for Bauchi, and for Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa, and also for Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, Kwara and Benue, in the section that also covers the Federal Capital Territory and Abuja. In the south east and south south, the same limit applies to Abia, Anambra, Imo, and the non-riverine parts of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers. The 10 November review said changes were made on land borders, street and vehicle crime, money and scams, terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, transport, checkpoints, taxis, buses, sea travel and swimming safety.

The Federal Road Safety Corps offence sheet, issued under the FRSC Establishment Act of 2007 and Regulation 220 of the 2012 national road traffic regulations, lists a speed limit violation under code SLV as 5 penalty points and a fine of 5,000 naira. A construction-area speed limit violation is listed separately at 3 points and 3,000 naira, while dangerous driving is listed at 10 points and 50,000 naira. The same sheet does not publish a different amount for a foreign driver. Someone who waives a court trial is told to pay the fine into a Federal Government revenue account at a commercial bank, or online through Remita by choosing a federal agency, then FRSC, then offences. The printed teller is taken to the FRSC office where the booking was made. A custody fee on an impounded vehicle, motorcycle or tricycle is 200 naira a day after the first 24 hours.

Nigeria Transport Hub reported that Lagos State has reminded commercial motorcycle, or okada, operators that the restriction on their work in 10 local government areas and 15 local council development areas is still in force. The ten local governments named by Sola Giwa are Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Mushin, Apapa, Ikeja, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Surulere and Eti-Osa. The 15 council areas named are Ojodu, Onigbongbo, Lagos Island East, Yaba, Coker Aguda, Itire-Ikate, Eti-Osa West, Iru Victoria Island, Ikoyi-Obalende, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Isolo, Ejigbo, Bariga and Odi-Olowo. Giwa pointed operators to section 46 of the Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, which the report says provides for a penalty on conviction and for the motorcycle to be impounded and then crushed in public. The same report said the state intends to move from warning to enforcement of that restriction.

A SelfieDoc guide checked in October 2026 says the Nigeria Immigration Service passport portal asks for a colour upload of 600 by 800 pixels, under 2 MB, in JPG or PNG, on a plain white background. It says the portal also wants the ears uncovered, no eyeglasses, no headphones and no face mask, with the head from the top of the hair to the chin filling 50 to 69 percent of the image height. The same guide says the eyes should sit between 56 and 69 percent of the height, measured from the bottom, and that the picture should have been taken within the last 6 months. It says a religious head covering is allowed only if it does not hide facial features, while a fashion cap or party gele is not. Adults are still described as bringing two printed passport photographs, endorsed on the back by a guarantor, when they attend the immigration office for the live photograph and fingerprints. The guide says the NIS pages it checked do not state a printed size in millimetres, so the office should be asked before printing.

A Docufy guide says Nigeria has no apostille office because it is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the authority that authenticates a Nigerian document for use abroad. Its authentication service, listed on the ministry site, covers business, educational and legal documents, with typical uses in immigration, study, work and legal proceedings. The guide says a notary public may come before that ministry step, and that a notary's functions include obtaining the ministry's authentication, but it found no rule that the ministry requires the notary first. After the ministry has authenticated the paper, the receiving country's embassy or authority may add its own legalisation, which the guide says is that country's decision. The ministry page is described as publishing no fee and no processing time, so those should be asked of the office. The guide names birth certificates, marriage certificates, child adoption documents and end-user certificates among the papers the ministry authenticates.

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund says employers register for the Employees' Compensation Scheme through its employer self-service portal and stay compliant with the Employees' Compensation Act of 2010 from one dashboard. Registration, monthly contributions, compliance-certificate fees and inspection payments are all made on that portal. The monthly contribution is described as 1 percent of total monthly payroll, remitted by every registered employer, and there is also a one-time employer onboarding fee. The services page says every registered Nigerian worker is covered at no cost to the worker, and that the scheme pays for workplace injury, occupational disease, disability and death regardless of fault. It lists permanent and temporary disability at 90 percent of remuneration, and it says the team processes claims within 7 working days. The page presents the service as digital and available in all 36 states.

WageIndicator, citing section 18 of the Labour Act, says a worker in Nigeria is entitled to at least six working days of annual leave with full salary, rising to at least twelve working days for young workers under sixteen, including apprentices. The worker must have worked at least twelve months to qualify, and the leave is meant to be taken at the end of the year in which it is earned. It can be deferred by agreement, but the holiday-earning period must not pass twenty-four months, and the earned and deferred leave must be taken within 24 months. The page says it is unlawful to pay basic wages instead of the unused leave except when the contract ends, and that pay during the leave is basic salary without overtime or other allowances. If the contract ends after more than six months but less than twelve, the employer must pay a pro-rata amount of the minimum leave. A worker who has worked at least six months since the last full leave year is also due a pro-rata payment for leave already earned.

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund says compensation under the Employees' Compensation Act of 2010 is a statutory right, not charity, when a registered employer's worker suffers a work-related injury, disability, occupational disease or death. The scheme covers medical treatment, income replacement and support for dependants, regardless of who was at fault, and it replaced an older law that required the worker to prove the employer was negligent. Medical cover includes hospital and nursing care, transport, medicines and equipment such as crutches or artificial limbs for as long as reasonably necessary. For permanent total disability the fund pays a periodic amount equal to 90 percent of monthly remuneration, while partial permanent disability is a lump-sum gratuity based on the assessed percentage of incapacity. A death benefit is described as a funeral grant plus a pension for a surviving spouse and children, and permanent incapacity can also bring rehabilitation and retraining. The employer starts a claim with a notification of accident form, then medical reports and, where needed, a police report, after which the claims department reviews the file and pays the approved benefit.

PayrollGTM says the Labour Act, in section 54, sets maternity leave at 12 weeks, usually 6 weeks before the birth and 6 weeks after, and sets pay at not less than 50 percent of wages. It says a contract or handbook can promise more, including full salary, and that a promise of full pay binds the employer even though the Act only requires half. The guide says it could not confirm one fixed qualifying period in its sources, though some commentary mentions six months, so the contract should be read first. It says the Act refers to a medical certificate, and in practice the employee writes to the employer, attaches a doctor's or hospital letter with the expected delivery date, and agrees the start of leave. There is no federal statutory paternity leave for private-sector employees, so any days for a father come from the contract, a handbook or goodwill. The same guide says the Act gives nursing mothers reduced working time after they return, but it does not state the length of that break.

The National Pension Commission says the Pension Reform Act 2004 does not set a retirement age, and that the age depends on each employee's terms and conditions of employment. It also says there is no minimum period that must be served before a contribution arises, so one month of work is enough for the employer to pay that month into the employee's retirement savings account. Access to the money is allowed only on retirement, and an employee who retires at 50 or older can take it immediately. An employee who retires before 50 because of mental or physical incapacity can also have immediate access, according to the same questions page. Ordinary withdrawals before retirement are not allowed, although extra voluntary lump-sum contributions may be taken out before retirement or before the age of 50. On retirement a lump sum may be drawn only if what remains can still buy an annuity or fund monthly payments of at least 50 percent of the monthly pay at the retirement date.

Vanguard reported on 21 August 2025 that the Independent National Electoral Commission says the approved age for voter registration is 18. The Yobe resident electoral commissioner, Ibrahim Abdullahi, gave that clarification in Gashua while visiting the Emir of Bade, after the emir asked whether a 16 or 17 year old could register in order to vote once that person turned 18 in 2027. Abdullahi said that under the Electoral Act only eligible citizens of 18 years and above may register and vote. He described registration as a part of the process that can strengthen or weaken the integrity of an election, and he said the commission is required by law to work with stakeholders and review the register before an election. Online registration in that exercise had already started on 18 August, with in-person registration set for 25 August, and both parts were to last one year. In-person registration was to be held at the commission headquarters in Damaturu and at centres in the state's 17 local government areas, and the people being sought included residents who had turned 18, people not registered before, people with permanent voter card problems, and people who wanted to change polling units.

Punch reported on 23 January 2026 that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigeria Immigration Service warned foreign nationals not to join the Continuous Voter Registration, and that only eligible Nigerian citizens may register and vote. The warning was given in Bauchi by the state resident electoral commissioner, Umar Ibrahim, at a stakeholder meeting before Phase II of that registration. He said any non-citizen found on the register would be removed under the law, and that the commission had already found one non-citizen who was registered by mistake and had started the statutory steps to correct it. A representative of the immigration service in Bauchi, Danladi Abdulkadir, said no foreign national is allowed, under any circumstance, to vote or to be voted for in Nigeria. He asked Nigerians to report anyone they suspect is a non-citizen trying to register. The same report said Phase II of the registration began nationwide on 5 January 2026 and was scheduled to end on 17 April 2026.

A May 2026 guide by Adeola Oyinlade and Co says that, with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the General Application and Implementation Directive in force, sending personal data out of Nigeria is prohibited unless a statutory exception or another compliance mechanism is in place. The guide reads section 43 as barring a transfer unless the recipient country ensures an adequate level of protection, and it says an adequacy decision is a formal designation by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. Where that decision exists, the guide says the data can move without a separate approval, and where it does not, the controller or processor must use an approved cross-border data transfer instrument such as standard contractual clauses, binding corporate rules, or an approved code or certification. Standard contractual clauses are described as terms that bind the foreign recipient to protections aligned with the Act, while binding corporate rules, once approved by the commission, cover transfers inside a corporate group. If neither an adequacy decision nor such an instrument is available, the same section is said to allow a narrow transfer for explicit informed consent, for a contract with the data subject, for a public-interest or legal claim, or to protect life or physical safety. The guide says the commission can impose an administrative fine of up to 10 million naira or 2 percent of annual gross revenue, whichever is higher, and that relying on consent for routine transfers is discouraged because consent can be withdrawn.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says it will take up a consumer complaint only after the person has already raised it with the business, and a complaint should be made as soon as possible after the problem, especially while any warranty still runs. The commission, created by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018, accepts the complaint on paper at any of its offices or electronically through its website portal or by email. The complaint has to name the business and give a correct address, state the amount involved and the redress wanted, and include proof of the transaction. Filing is free, an electronic complaint is acknowledged at once, and a paper complaint should be acknowledged within two working days. The same page says redress can take from one day to 45 days, with some cases needing a sector regulator and some running longer. If the outcome is still unsatisfactory, the commission's process does not stop the consumer from going to court.

A June 2026 guide on the Nigerian Communications Commission consumer portal says a telecom complaint starts with the service provider, by dialling customer care on 300, visiting a care centre, using the provider's official email, or using its social media. The caller should ask for a complaint ticket number and keep it, because that number is the proof the problem was reported, and some complaints end at this stage. The guide says the provider must work toward a resolution within the agreed time, and the customer should wait out that period before going to the commission. If the complaint is still unresolved, it can be taken to the commission on the toll-free line 622, by email to consumer at ncc dot gov dot ng, through the consumer portal, or at a zonal office, and the ticket number plus the steps already taken should be included. After that escalation the provider may call back, and the guide asks the customer to answer promptly and to avoid sharing personal information with unknown sources.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission says an electricity complaint begins as a written complaint at the nearest customer care unit of the distribution company, and the customer should keep the acknowledgement in case the matter is escalated. The company is expected to resolve the complaint within 15 working days, depending on how complex it is. If that response is not satisfactory, the customer contacts the nearest commission consumer forum office, which the commission set up for complaints the company did not resolve. A customer who is still dissatisfied with the forum's decision contacts the commission head office, and the commission reviews the complaint and the steps the company and the forum already took. Where no forum office is nearby, the same page says an unresolved complaint can still be sent to a forum office by a formal letter with supporting documents or by email.

The Nigerian Postal Service FAQ says a parcel is tracked with the alphanumeric tracking identity printed on the bar-coded receipt from the counter, entered on the nipost website, and that some ordinary items cannot be tracked until they reach the delivery post office. Speed Post, the domestic express service, is described as delivering within 48 hours, while Airport mail under that service is described as a six-hour delivery available only in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. A customer who thinks an item was tampered with is told to inspect it at collection, report at once at the post office of delivery, and also report online on the nipost website or to customer service with the tracking details, a description and what the tampering looked like. A lost or damaged item starts with a formal report, after which the service says it investigates, and the customer is asked for the tracking details, a description and any evidence of damage. The same page says any complaint or enquiry can be taken to the nearest post office or the helpline, though it does not print the helpline number in that answer. It also says customs duty is charged by the Nigeria Customs Service, that NIPOST only collects and remits it plus its own parcel clearance fee, and that a customer must not pay duty into a staff member's personal account.

The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism says allegations of professional misconduct in hospitality, travel and tourism are handled under the NIHOTOUR Act of 2022. An investigating panel first looks into the allegation, decides whether to send the case to the disciplinary tribunal, and reports serious infractions to the minister. The tribunal can reprimand a practitioner, remove the person from the institute's register, impose a fine, or suspend the person from practice. The page lists breach of client confidentiality, fraud or misrepresentation, harm to a client or the public, and departure from professional standards as misconduct. A tribunal decision can be appealed within 30 days and becomes final after that appeal hearing. The page says all disciplinary matters fall under the Federal High Court of Nigeria.