Do you need travel insurance for Nigeria?

Your cover at home stops at the border

From the UK: there's no reciprocal healthcare agreement with Nigeria, so the NHS won't cover treatment there. The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) doesn't apply either. The UK government advises you to arrange full medical cover before you travel, including air ambulance (GOV.UK).

From the US: Medicare generally doesn't pay for care outside the country (Medicare.gov), and many private plans offer limited cover abroad. From Canada: provincial plans pay a fraction of emergency costs abroad, if anything, and the rules vary by province. Wherever you're from, read your own policy rather than assume.

What happens if you need a hospital in Nigeria

The UK government's travel advice says you have to pay for treatment at public hospitals in Nigeria, and private hospitals cost more (GOV.UK health advice). Hospitals often ask for payment or a deposit before treatment starts. There's no national ambulance service. The emergency number is 112.

So the type of cover matters as much as the amount. A policy that pays you back after you get home still leaves you paying first, in a hurry, in naira. Then you file a claim from abroad. Before you buy, ask any insurer how payment works at the hospital door.

What to look for in travel health cover for Nigeria

• —Hospitals you can use. A high limit means little if the nearest hospital in the network is an hour away.
• —Hospital admission: how many days per trip are covered.
• —Diagnostics, such as tests and scans. This is often where limits run out first.
• —Emergencies: a 24/7 line, and whether emergency evacuation is included.
• —A flight home if you need one. The UK government specifically recommends it.
• —Length of cover. For a three-week visit, you shouldn't have to buy a year.

How Omanga Holiday Insurance works

Omanga's health cover is short-term cover for your time in Nigeria. It comes from Phillips HMO, a Nigerian health maintenance organisation (HMO) with its own hospital network. The cover applies in Nigeria only. You can activate a plan in about five minutes, and renew or extend it from your account.

Silver, $50 a month

The essentials, for a short, straightforward trip: emergency assistance, 15 days in hospital per trip, basic diagnostics, emergency evacuation and essential prescription drugs.

Gold, $85 a month

Everything in Silver, plus private ward admission, enhanced diagnostics, extended eye care and higher surgical limits.

Diamond, $120 a month

Everything in Gold, plus the widest hospital access, the highest cover limits and unlimited CT scans.

Every plan includes hospital admission, diagnostics, emergency assistance and evacuation, telemedicine, roaming across Nigeria and a contact centre. Each plan opens a different set of hospital categories. Compare health plans to see which hospitals each one covers. If your trip needs something you don't see listed, such as a flight home, ask us before you buy.

A few health checks before you fly

Insurance is one part of it. Nigeria requires proof of yellow fever vaccination on arrival, and malaria is a risk all year. Book a travel clinic appointment well before your trip. Bring enough of any regular medicine to cover delays. Save your insurer's emergency number in your phone before you need it.

Money is the other half of a smooth trip. Our guide to how far $100 really goes in Nigeria covers real Lagos prices, cash and exchange rates.