Nigeria Travel Insurance | 3 Best Sites to Search [2023]

If you’re looking for travel insurance for Nigeria, you’re in the right place. When it comes to travel insurance Nigeria isn’t all that different than other countries, but there are a few things you need to know.

As a travel blogger who travels the world full time, I know that sorting out travel insurance can be a difficult issue. I struggled with this issue when I went to Lagos, Nigeria a few years ago for my friend’s traditional wedding (check out my awesome list of things to do in Lagos Nigeria or my guide to where to stay in Lagos by the way).

In this guide, I’ll share the five best sites I’ve found for finding travel insurance quotes for Nigeria, plus some safety tips for your trip. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Best Sites | Requirements | Safety | Why Get Insurance

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Best Travel Insurance for Nigeria Sites

#1 – TravelInsurance.com (Best Overall)

TravelInsurance.com is the first place I personally would search for travel insurance for Nigeria these days. The site is essentially a marketplace where you can research, compare, and buy travel insurance from hundreds of different travel insurance companies.

After filling out a few details, you’ll be presented with a screen that looks like this:

As you can see, the interface makes it easy to compare prices, reviews, and coverage limits for the following:

• Trip Cancellation
• Trip Interruption
• Medical Evacuation
• Emergency Medical
• Baggage Loss
• Flight Accident
• Accidental Death

Personally, I think this is a very intuitive and user-friendly interface. I also like the sorting features. You can easily narrow down your search for the type of travel insurance cover that is most important to you. There are filters for things like CFAR (cancel for any reason) policies and covid-19 medical coverage.

#2 – VisitorsCoverage (Alternative Comparison Site)

When it comes to the best travel insurance sites for 2023, VisitorsCoverage is a close second in my book. It is also a comparison site where you can quickly pull trip insurance quotes from many companies.

While VisitorsCoverage does not have as robust a set of filters, it still has several in a pretty intuitive interface. Here is a sample quote I pulled for a trip to Nigeria:

One primary difference with VisitorsCoverage is the ability to get a quote for either Visitors & Travel Medical Insurance (emergency medical costs) or for Trip Insurance (flight cancellations, missed connections, delays, etc). If you only want one or the other for your trip to Nigeria, you may be able to find a cheaper quote here.

#3 – Aardy (Another Comparison Site)

Another comparison site that gives quotes for Nigeria travel insurance is Aardy.

The drawbacks to this site are that you have to provide an email address just to get a quote, and also that there aren’t as many filtering options. Here is a screenshot of a sample quote I got for a trip to Nigeria:

On the other hand, in my tests Aardy did sometimes find the cheapest travel insurance for Nigeria to its credit.

Nigeria Travel Insurance Requirements

Nigeria does not require travel insurance for tourists. Although the application process to get a tourist visa for Nigeria can be onerous, travel insurance is not one of the requirements. Although it is not mandatory to get travel insurance for Nigeria, many visitors (including myself) nonetheless choose to protect their trips.

While every situation is different and you have to make your own call, here are a couple things to keep in mind:

• Nigeria is actually relatively safe for travel (especially in the areas most visitors are likely to go to), though there are still risks that make travel insurance sensible.
• The most important thing I personally looked for in a Nigeria travel insurance policy is emergency medical and evacuation coverage.
• You might already have some minimal international travel insurance coverage through your credit cards, your home or health insurance policies, or your employer. Be sure to check.

Is Nigeria Safe for Travel?

Nigeria is generally safe for travelers provided you aren’t traveling to the north and north-eastern part of the country (most travelers won’t have a need to go there) and are exercising reasonable travel precautions as you would anywhere else. With that said, there are some special safety concerns you need to be aware of when traveling to Nigeria.

If you are like most travelers to Nigeria and you’re just going to the main cities like Lagos and Abuja, or along the southern coast, you should find Nigeria to be as safe or even safer than many popular travel destinations on the continent like South Africa and Kenya.

Still, there are some things to note about travel safety in Nigeria:

• You should read the latest travel advisories from the US State Department and UK Foreign Office, but do be aware that these advisories are notoriously over-sensationalized for practically every country (not just Nigeria).
• Avoid the north and especially north-eastern part of the country, where most countries strongly discourage travel due to strife with militants and Boko Haram.
• LGBT travelers should exercise caution as the country is still behind the times on gay rights.

Most travelers to Nigeria experience the wonderful country without any problems. And the most likely type of crime you’d experience in Nigeria is just common petty crime such as robbery or theft. Actually, your biggest risk is probably getting into an accident on Nigeria’s crazy roads:

Still, travel insurance can provide some extra peace of mind so let’s talk about how travel insurance can help protect you on your Nigeria trip:

Why I Get Travel Insurance

While I personally chose to buy travel insurance for my Nigeria trip, it’s not an open and shut question for everyone (as travel insurance is not mandatory for Nigeria). I mean, I did spend a lot of money on my insurance policy and I never actually used it (though I definitely don’t regret buying it).

Depending on your situation, you might already have sufficient coverage through other sources like:

• Travel medical insurance through your employer (especially if visiting on a work trip)
• Your health insurance back home (though many don’t include international travel medical insurance)
• Limited international travel insurance through credit cards, homeowners’ policies, or other insurance policies you already have.

Also, as I wrote in detail on my post about travel insurance for Mexico, one problem with most international travel insurance policies is that they come loaded with a ton of benefits that aren’t really that great of a value.

Things like trip delay coverage often aren’t super useful because if your flight is delayed most airlines or common carriers are going to cover you anyway. And while trip cancellation coverage can be helpful, unless you get a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy (CFAR), read the fine print carefully as “trip cancellation insurance” usually is pretty limited in what it will actually cover.

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That’s it for this quick guide to buying travel insurance for Nigeria. Enjoy your trip to Nigeria. It’s a really fun and vibrant country and I’m sure you’re going to love Nigeria!