Maiduguri

Maiduguri, also known locally as Yerwa, is a city of 800,000 people (2021 estimate) in Northeastern Nigeria. It is the capital of the Borno State. Since 2009, it has been the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Understand
Maiduguri is the principal trading hub for north-eastern Nigeria. Its economy is largely based on services and trade with a small share of manufacturing.

Maiduguri is home to three markets which include a modern "Monday market".

Get in
There have been no passenger services to Maiduguri, the government wants to reestablish the rail link and have made several promises of renewed traffic "soon". Don't hold your breath, though. The old is north of city centre.

Buses are the main form of land transport and ABC Transport amongst others offers overnight from Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and daytime buses from Kano and Jos.

Travelling by car is not possible, due to insecurity on all national highways in and out of Maiduguri preventing travel by anyone except local people. NGOs, UN and government staff are forbidden from travelling more than a few kilometers out of Maiduguri by road, and attacks, robberies, and informal checkpoints either by Islamist insurgents or common criminals is extremely common. National roads A3, which continues towards N'Djamena, and A4 passes by the city.

Get around
You will occasionally see large convoys of military jeeps, passenger vans, and black SUVs driving through the city at high speeds with sirens on. Do not attempt to overtake or cut into these convoys, which mainly transport government officials between the airport and Government House. To pass the time, try and count the number of vehicles in the convoy: the higher the number, the more important the person. Convoys of over 50 vehicles are not uncommon.

Stay safe
Maiduguri is the epicenter of the Islamist Insurgency in Northeast Nigeria and, despite heavy military presence and relative security within the confines of the city, militants are able to move freely only 20km from the city center. Rocket and mortar attacks on targets within Maiduguri, particularly in the west of the city around the airport, are common. Bomb attacks within the city have not happened for some time, but cannot be ruled out. Any person coming to Maiduguri for the first time should be well acquainted with War zone safety.

Maiduguri is an extremely unsafe city with high rates of violent and non-violent crime and occasionally communal violence. Risks range from pickpocketing to muggings and abduction for ransom. The lack of mains electricity within the city means that much of it is very dark after nightfall. Do not walk on the streets at night and ensure that the doors to your accommodation are locked securely. You should aim to stay in accommodation with high, barbed wire walls and armed security if possible.

If you find yourself approaching a protest or demonstration where people seem agitated, calmly but quickly turn your vehicle around and drive away. Do not attempt to pass through crowds in a vehicle. Demonstrations in Maiduguri are illegal, and can quickly devolve into violence on the side of either police or demonstrators. Foreigners may be targeted at such events.

It is recommended that you hire a vehicle with a driver while in Maiduguri. Ensure that drivers have all relevant credentials and that vehicles are in good condition.

The city is under a perpetual state of curfew although the exact times are adjusted by the military theatre command month-by-month, usually coming into force somewhere between 9pm and 11pm. Cars stopped at one of the numerous military checkpoints after curfew WILL be extensively questioned and you are unlikely to be let go without paying a "special fine" to the men on duty. Do not take photographs of military personnel or government installations.

Cope




Go next

 * N'Djamena
 * Yola