The Nigerian government has issued a travel advisory warning citizens to be cautious when travelling through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the city’s high altitude could pose serious health risks, particularly for travellers with pre-existing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. The ministry said at least 16 Nigerians have died due to complications linked to the city’s high-altitude terrain.
The mechanics matter. Addis Ababa sits about 2,355 metres above sea level. Lower atmospheric pressure reduces oxygen availability. Healthy people are likely to adapt. People with certain underlying conditions may face increased risks. The ministry advised travellers with pre-existing medical conditions to seek medical advice before planning journeys involving transit through the Ethiopian capital. It clarified that the advisory was not intended to discourage travel, but to ensure that medically vulnerable travellers are informed.
Addis Ababa is a major international aviation hub and the principal operating base of Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier. It serves as a connecting point for passengers travelling from Nigeria to several international destinations. That makes it a regular transit point for Nigerian air travellers. The advisory is a practical warning for a heavily used route.
This mirrors the 2020 COVID-19 border closures, when transit routes became health risk points. It also echoes the 2014 Ebola screening at airports, where transit hubs became surveillance points. The difference now is that the risk is environmental, not infectious. The winners are travellers with medical conditions who can now make informed decisions; the ministry, which shows public health concern; and airlines that can adjust passenger screening. The losers are travellers who ignore the warning; Nigerian families who have lost relatives; and Ethiopia’s transit reputation if the advisory deters some passengers.
Winners: Informed travellers; the foreign ministry; airlines adjusting screening.
Losers: Travellers ignoring the warning; families of the deceased; Ethiopia’s transit reputation if passengers are deterred.
Bottom Line: A travel advisory is only useful if travellers read it. Nigeria should publish clearer guidance on which conditions pose the greatest risk at altitude.