In-bound passengers to Nigeria who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to carry out COVID-19 PCR test before boarding Nigeria-bound flights. Also fully vaccinated passengers arriving Nigeria will not be required to carry out post arrival PCR test or a Rapid Antigen Test upon arriving the country.
These were contained in the revised Travel Protocol released on Saturday April 2, 2022 and signed by the Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19 Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and signed Secretary to the Government of the Federation/ Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha.
The Federal government said the protocol is a revision of the Travel Protocol released on November 29, 2021 Interim Travel Guidelines for Passengers arriving in Nigeria.
The eight page paper stated among other guidelines that: Children below the age of 18 years will be accorded the same privileges as persons who are fully vaccinated;
It however, stated that in-bound passengers who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated for COVID-19 shall take a COVID-19 PCR test 48 hours before departure and undergo Days 2 and 7 post-arrival PCR tests at their own cost.
The document however explained that passengers who are not able to show evidence of full vaccination will be treated as unvaccinated/partially vaccinated under this protocol.
According to the document, “full vaccination for COVID-19 refers to a person who received Two (2) doses any of the following COVID-19 vaccines at least Two (2) weeks before date of Travel: i. Pfizer/ Bio-Ntech ii. Moderna iii. Oxford Astra-Zeneca iv. Sputnik v. Sinopharm, vi. Sinovac vii. COVAXIN viii. COVOVAX ix. Nuvaxovid OR persons who received a single dose of these vaccines are considered not fully vaccinated: A Single dose of any of the following COVID-19 vaccines: i. Jensen (Johnson and Johnson) ii. Sputnik Light.”
The document added, “ all in-bound passengers MUST register via the online Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP– https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng) while it encouraged all passengers travelling out of Nigeria to have evidence of full vaccination against COVID-19, comply with the COVID-19 guidelines of their destinations or transit countries; and familiarise themselves with the COVID-19 travel requirements of their destinations and transit countries before embarking on their journeys.”
