The United States government has commenced the withdrawal of its personnel and their families from Nigeria, citing a worsening security environment across parts of the country.

In an advisory issued on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State confirmed that non-essential staff and relatives attached to its embassy in Abuja have been authorised to depart.

According to the statement, the decision followed a review of the prevailing security situation, which Washington described as deteriorating.

“Nigeria: On April 8, 2026, the Department of State authorised non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave U.S. Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation,” the notice read.

The advisory maintained Nigeria at Level 3 on the U.S. travel risk scale, urging citizens to reconsider any planned trips to the country.

It warned that security concerns remain widespread, including incidents of crime, terrorism, civil unrest and kidnapping, as well as challenges in accessing consistent healthcare services in some areas.

“Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, and inconsistent availability of health care services. Some areas have increased risk,” the statement added.

While stopping short of a full travel ban, U.S. authorities discouraged visits to most northern states and parts of the South-East and South-South regions, specifically naming Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo and sections of Rivers State as high-risk zones.

The latest move comes amid growing international concern over Nigeria’s security outlook. In its recent Global Terrorism Index released on March 19, 2026, the Institute for Economics & Peace ranked Nigeria as the fourth most affected country by terrorism.

The report indicated a sharp rise in fatalities linked to terrorist activities, with deaths increasing by 46 per cent in 2025 under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.