The number of Nigerians opting for other African countries when travelling abroad is expected to outperform previous prime destinations such as the UK and US. According to a new report by Timetric, the number of outbound tourists is expected to reach 1.8m in 2018, compared to 1.4 million trips made in 2013.
The main countries visited by Nigerians are still the UK and the US, mainly due to a high number of Nigerian diaspora in both countries. In 2013, only 39% of Nigerian tourists went to visit other African countries, however, this number is expected to grow towards 2018, as African countries are becoming more popular with Nigerian travellers. This travel boost within the country is due to rising Nigerian incomes and an increased number of African tourist boards across the continent.
The African continent is expected to take a bigger piece of the Nigerian outbound market. 76.000 Nigerians visited South Africa in 2013, and this number is expected to go up to 112.000 in 2018, outperforming the UK and US in terms of growth. Other well developed African holiday destinations will also see a rise in Nigerian tourists due to the geographical proximity and promotional efforts.

A burgeoning number of African tourism boards have been making efforts to promote their country in Nigeria. For example, South Africa opened up an office in Lagos in 2014 to attract more Nigerian tourists. The office is set to target high net worth individuals and travelers from the upper-to-medium-level income group. Similarly, in December 2013, the Kenya Tourism Board launched a tourism campaign in West Africa, Nigeria and Ghana and aims to organise seminars and connect with travel agents and media to raise awareness about Kenya’s tourism offerings.
These findings are based on the new Timetric report: ‘Travel and tourism in Nigeria to 2018.’