Niger

Is Niger safe to visit?

No. Niger is under military rule, jihadist groups attack in three corners of the country, and kidnapping is now a risk in the capital too. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary is Level 4, "do not travel for any reason", and on 29 October 2025 the UK extended its advice against all travel to Niamey, citing a rise in kidnappings of foreigners that year. Niger ranks 146th of 163 on the Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary 2026, a little better than Burkina Faso (149th) and Mali (154th), but its central Sahel neighbourhood accounted for nearly half of the world's terrorism deaths in 2025. We score Niger 29, level with Mali and below Nigeria (35).

The junta and the armed groups

On 26 July 2023 the presidential guard detained the elected president, and its commander, General Abdourahamane Tiani, declared himself head of a military government. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the situation calmed after the coup but that violent protests can flare without warning.

The armed groups split the country between them. JNIM and Islamic State Sahel operate in the west, especially the Tillabéri region near the Mali and Burkina Faso borders. Islamic State West Africa and Boko Haram attack around Diffa and Lake Chad in the south-east. The north, towards Libya, is also a terrorist area. Al Jazeera, reporting in January 2026, said the Islamic State affiliate had killed more than 120 people in Tillabéri in September 2025 and abducted an American pilot in October.

Shortly after midnight on 29 January 2026, Islamic State fighters attacked the air base at Niamey's Diori Hamani International Airport. The government said 20 attackers were killed and four soldiers wounded. The FCDO has since reported heavy gunfire near the airport on 18 June 2026, and gunfire near the presidential palace and the airport early on 29 August 2026. The road between central Niamey and the airport may have extra checkpoints and short-notice closures.

Kidnapping, even in Niamey

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls the kidnap threat "very high" throughout Niger, including Niamey, from JNIM, Islamic State and criminal gangs that may sell hostages on. The US Embassy issued a security alert on 22 October 2025 warning that Americans were at risk of kidnapping anywhere in the country, and the FCDO says Britons face the same risk. US government staff in Niger must travel in armoured vehicles, keep a curfew and stay out of restaurants and open-air markets, and the US advises private citizens to do the same.

Practical steps the FCDO gives: do not cross the River Niger bridges on foot, ever; avoid regular routines; travel only in daylight; and stay away from hotels, bars and markets popular with foreigners when you can.

Escorts and roads

A state of emergency covers many regions, and foreigners may leave Niamey only with government permission and a military escort, and the UK recommends staying inside the city limits. Outside, the risk is double: landmines and roadside bombs on routes such as Niamey to Ouagadougou, and ordinary crashes on potholed roads where vehicles drive at night without lights. WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 24.9 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. Buses break down on long desert routes and have been held up between Tahoua and Agadez and between Agadez and Arlit, with passengers killed.

Crime in Niamey

Crime is high in the capital. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary singles out the areas around the Gaweye Hotel, the National Museum and the Petit Marché for muggings. People, Westerners among them, have been attacked as they left banks and ATMs; use the machines inside large hotels and never at night. Car thieves target 4x4s, so keep the doors locked. Online romance, business and job scams also target foreigners, the FCDO warns.

Same-sex relations carry 5 to 10 years in prison, and photographing military or government sites can lead to arrest.

Health and heat

Niger is one of the hottest countries we cover. Niamey passed 40°C on 87 days in 2025 and peaked at 44.1°C in April (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis), so carry water and avoid travel in the midday heat. Rains from June to October bring floods. Malaria is the main disease risk, at an estimated 305 cases per 1,000 people at risk in 2024 (WHO), and CDC advises malaria tablets and yellow fever vaccination, with polio and diphtheria notices in force. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says facilities are poor even in Niamey and serious cases need evacuation to Europe. The ambulance number is 15, but private clinics are often faster.

How we scored it

Conflict (8) is the weakest factor, followed by health (22) and road safety (35), scored on WHO's 2021 estimate. Natural hazards (45) score highest, held down by the heat. Niger's last recorded homicide figure is from 2012, so we use WHO's modelled estimate for 2021 (9.4 per 100,000), score violent crime just below its band because of the crime and kidnapping reports, and set confidence to low. The weighted average is 29; our cap of conflict plus 35 (43) does not bind.