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Check-In Procedures for International Departure from A Nigerian Airport

Getting through an international airport in Nigeria can be a "challenging" experience. Be prepared...!

The following narrative is from my experience in 2014. An updated version for February, 2025 is coming...

Get to the airport early. Check-in starts 4 to 5 hours before departure. Seriously consider getting to the airport right at check-in time if not before. Bring a good book or whatever you need to stay entertained. The time you invest in being early will very likely pay off in helping you to stay patient and avoid stress.

Note well...It may seem like everyone in the check-in process moves as slowly as possible and even speaks very softly...until you stoke someone's ire. Try your best not to attract undue attention, follow ALL rules, do not attempt to debate unless absolutely necessary, and by all means take the entire process VERY seriously!

Your objective is to make it to the waiting area as quickly and sanely as possible. Once there, you can START to relax, NOT before.

If you see someone paying "honorariums" to airport staff, security, customs, etc...remain calm. Do not feel pressure to participate. These days, bribery is not as overt in Nigerian airports as it used to be. Thus any staff who makes an attempt will typically try to be discreet about it and will give up quickly if you are not compliant...AND you have not provided any quasi-legitimate excuse for them to hold you up.

Another welcome advance in the Nigerian airport experience is that passengers are generally well-behaved these days. Lines are relatively orderly with a distinct process. There is no longer a need to brace yourself for pushing and shoving or developing a "me-first", survival-of-the-fittest attitude. If you are unfortunate to experience any regression to the old ways, again, stay PATIENT. Your sanity will thank you for it.

The following checklist is based on my experience at the Port Harcourt International Airport in the spring of 2014. (The arrival area was under construction at the time).

  1. Make sure you have a savvy driver taking you to the airport...
  2. Find your way to your airline's check-in line...
  3. Agent checks your passport.
  4. Another agent conducts a search of all bags getting checked-in.
  5. Customs conducts a bag search...
  6. Check-in: the most "normal" part of the process...
  7. Find your way to the security line...
  8. While standing in the security line, an agent will approach you...
  9. Go to another counter for another passport review...
    • Your passport is passed to another agent...
    • After some amount of time, you will get directed to another counter.
    • Your passport gets passed to your right again...
  10. Hand over your currency declaration.
  11. Go through the metal detector.
  12. Security hand checks the same bags...
  13. Two customs agents search the same bags...
  14. An airline agent asks for your boarding pass...
  15. Pay close attention to boarding procedures.
  16. Line up and have your boarding pass checked.
  17. Airline security hand checks your carry-on bags.
  18. Airline security gives you a pat down.
  19. Get on a bus that drives you to the plane.
  20. At the plane, an airline staffer scans your boarding pass again.
  21. Before take-off, the cabin will get sprayed with an insecticide.
  22. Depending on the country for your first layover...

ENJOY! By this time you have earned a good rest and a relaxing trip to your final destination.

Last updated: June, 2025