US Warns Citizens Against Travel to 23 Countries, Lists 11 in Africa

The United States Department of State has placed 23 countries on its Level 4 travel advisory list, warning American citizens against travelling to the affected destinations for any reason.

The advisory, published through the department's TravelGov platform, identifies countries where security conditions are considered dangerous or where the US government has limited capacity to provide assistance to its citizens.

The 11 African countries on the list are Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

Other countries affected include Afghanistan, Belarus, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

The department explained that Level 4 represents its highest travel warning, advising citizens not to visit the designated countries because of risks including terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest and crime.

Nigeria is not included among the 23 countries under the global Level 4 classification but remains at Level 3, which advises American citizens to reconsider travel.

In its separate advisory on Nigeria, issued on June 12, 2026, the department cited crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping and inconsistent access to healthcare as reasons for the warning.

It also identified several Nigerian states where Americans were advised against travelling, including Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and northern Adamawa.

Other states listed under the warning include Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara.

The advisory also urged American citizens to avoid parts of the South-East and South-South because of security concerns.

Reacting to the US travel warning on Nigeria, the Federal Government had described the classification as a routine precaution based on the American government's internal security assessment.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, acknowledged isolated security challenges but maintained that Nigeria remained stable and that the advisory did not represent a breakdown of law and order.

The US Department of State regularly reviews its travel advisories to inform citizens about security conditions and potential risks in destinations around the world.