🇳🇬 Nigeria Healthcare Guide
Lagos and Abuja have competent private hospitals — St Nicholas Hospital and EKO Hospital in Lagos, National Hospital in Abuja — and Nigeria's private healthcare sector is the most developed in West Africa. The gap between these cities and the rest of Africa's most populous country is vast, with facilities in the northern states of Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara being severely limited, and even the oil-rich Niger Delta having inconsistent healthcare access. English is the language of the healthcare system, which makes clinical communication straightforward — the main preparation for travel beyond Lagos or Abuja is knowing where the nearest private hospital is to where you're going.
Quick facts
- Emergency number: 199
- Healthcare system: mixed
- Average GP visit: $15 USD
- EHIC/GHIC accepted: No
- Language barrier: medium
Healthcare overview
Lagos’s private hospitals (Reddington, St. Nicholas, Lagoon) provide the country’s best care, serving Nigeria’s business and expat communities. Abuja has adequate private options including National Hospital and Nisa Premier Hospital. Nigeria’s regional variation is enormous: Lagos and Abuja have capable private facilities, but healthcare in the northeast (Borno, Yobe), northwest (Zamfara, Katsina), and much of rural Nigeria is severely limited. Security concerns affect multiple regions.
Lagos private hospitals
Reddington Hospital and St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos’s Victoria Island and Ikoyi serve the international community with English-speaking specialist staff.
Massive regional variation
The gap between Lagos/Abuja’s private hospitals and rural northern Nigeria is among the widest in Africa. Security concerns further limit access in the northeast.
Vaccinations
Required
- Yellow Fever
Recommended
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid
- Malaria prophylaxis
- Meningitis
- Rabies
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Lagos and Abuja have pharmacies with adequate stock. Counterfeit medications are a significant concern in Nigeria, with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) working to combat the problem. Buy from hospital-attached or NAFDAC-verified pharmacies only. Having your medication list with generic names helps pharmacists match verified products.
NAFDAC-verified pharmacies
NAFDAC combats counterfeit medications. Buy from hospital-attached pharmacies or outlets displaying NAFDAC verification to ensure quality.
Tips for travellers
Lagos’s private hospitals cover most specialist care, with growing capabilities in cardiology and oncology. For complex conditions, Johannesburg, London, and Accra serve as referral destinations. Having your treatment history accessible in English helps Nigerian specialists continue your care directly, as English is the standard medical documentation language.
Growing specialist capability
Lagos’s private hospitals are expanding specialist departments. Reddington and St. Nicholas are closing the gap with South African facilities in several specialties.