Contrary to a recent negative report by the U.S., the federal government of Nigeria said on Thursday, August 11, 2016 that every state in the country is safe.
According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, minister of information and culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, stated this when he received a delegation from the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria in Abuja.
Mohammed said the advisory published by the U.S., which was awash in national dailies declaring 20 Nigerian states “unsafe and completely no go area”, was not correct.
The minister admonished the media to desist from propagating negative news about the country, stressing that it would discourage investors and be counter productive to tourism growth.
The minister urged the media and members of the association to complement efforts of government to re-position the tourism sector.
He said tourism was driven by perception rather than reality, adding that every Nigerian must invest in perception management for the country.
The minister also urged leaders in the public and private sectors to help promote local tourism by spending their vacations and holidays at tourist sites within the country.
US Gov’t Issues Travel Warning on Nigeria
The United States government has cautioned its citizens to avoid all travel to 20 of Nigeria’s 36 states due to security concerns.
The US stated that security remains “fluid and unpredictable” in the listed states.
The US Department of State, specifically warned Americans against travel to Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, noting that its ability to provide assistance to US citizens in the three states remains severely limited.
In a travel warning on its website on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, the Department of State strongly urged U.S citizens in Nigeria to consider their own personal security and to keep personal safety in the forefront of their travel planning.
The US State Department recommended against all but essential travel to 17 other states due to the risk of kidnappings, robberies, and other armed attacks.
The states are, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
“Based on safety and security risk assessments, the Embassy maintains restrictions for travel by US officials to the states listed above; officials must receive advance clearance by the US Mission for any travel to those states,” it stated.
The Department further advised all U.S citizens to be particularly vigilant around government security facilities, churches, mosques, and other places of worship locations where large crowds may gather, such as hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants, markets, shopping malls, and other areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers.
It explained that security measures in the country is heightened due to threats posed by extremist groups, and “U.S. citizens may encounter police and military checkpoints, additional security, and possible road blocks throughout the country.”
The mission pointed out that the Boko Haram group, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Department of State, had claimed responsibility for many attacks in the country.
It also informed Americans that local government curfews are intermittently in effect in several states in the North.
Hattip to Signal
