# Nigeria cautions against travel via Ethiopia’s main airport due to altitude

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/nigeria-cautions-against-travel-via-ethiopias-main-airport-due-to-altitude/
- Published: 2026-11-14T15:42:54+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T21:19:46+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC World (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmz6qjpdy2wqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Africa, Culture, Travel, World

## Key points

- Nigeria reports 16 deaths among ill travellers transiting Addis Ababa this year.
- The city’s altitude may pose extra risks for people with heart or lung conditions.
- Nigeria advises medical guidance but says it is not discouraging travel.

## Summary

Nigeria has cautioned citizens, especially those with existing health conditions, about travelling through Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport because of the city’s high altitude. The warning follows the foreign ministry’s report that 16 Nigerians with underlying health problems died while transiting there this year, though it did not identify them or state the causes of death.

Addis Ababa is 2,334 metres above sea level, and its airport is a major hub linking Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Nigeria highlighted risks for people with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions and advised them to seek medical guidance before travelling; it said it was not seeking to discourage travel through the city. At altitude, thinner air means less oxygen enters the bloodstream, which can strain the heart and cause symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue and breathlessness.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.