The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 announced on Monday, 22 November 2021, that from 1 December all international travellers arriving in Nigeria by air would be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry.
Under the new rules, unvaccinated travellers arriving in the country would be required to undergo mandatory quarantine at their own expense, in addition to the existing requirement of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure. The committee said the measure was intended to protect the gains made in Nigeria's pandemic response as global case numbers remained volatile.
Timing Ahead of Omicron Concerns
The announcement came just days before the World Health Organization designated the Omicron variant a variant of concern, a development that would prompt Nigeria to impose reciprocal flight restrictions on the UK, Canada and Saudi Arabia within weeks. Airlines operating into Nigeria were directed to deny boarding to passengers who could not present valid vaccination documentation.
Airport authorities said the policy would be enforced at all international entry points, with health desks at Lagos and Abuja airports upgraded to verify vaccination certificates alongside existing COVID-19 testing checks.
