The Federal Government has issued an urgent travel health advisory to Nigerians transiting through or visiting Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, following the deaths of 16 citizens in the city this year from complications linked to its high-altitude environment.
In a statement released on Saturday, November 14, 2026, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, authorities specifically urged travellers with pre-existing medical conditions, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory ailments, to seek professional medical clearance before booking itineraries through the major East African aviation hub.
Addis Ababa sits at an elevation of approximately 2,355 metres (7,726 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest-altitude capitals in the world.
Read also: Fani-Kayode, South African presidency clash over exclusion of Nigerian delegation from livestream
At that elevation, significantly lower atmospheric pressure reduces oxygen availability, while dry air, heightened ultraviolet radiation, and accelerated fluid loss can rapidly trigger physiological distress.
According to the advisory, while healthy individuals typically acclimatise to thinner air within a few days, medically vulnerable passengers face heightened risks.
Symptoms can escalate from mild discomfort, such as persistent headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath, to severe, life-threatening conditions including cerebral oedema (brain swelling).
The warning comes after Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Addis Ababa documented 16 fatalities involving Nigerian travellers passing through the city over the course of the year, with the incidents reportedly tied to high-altitude health complications.
Despite the sobering figures, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the notice is not a travel ban or an attempt to discourage Nigerians from flying through Addis Ababa, a vital transit gateway connecting West Africa to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
“Rather, it aims to ensure that persons who may be medically vulnerable to the physiological effects of high altitudes are adequately informed and encouraged to take necessary precautions before embarking on their journeys,” Adeniyi stated, urging citizens to prioritise informed health decisions alongside their travel plans.
Related News
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.
She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.
She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.
As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.
She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.
Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the
prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the ‘Aviation Writer of the Year’ Category.
She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.
She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.
Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Source: