UK ⇄ Nigeria

What to Expect Landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos

If you're flying in from the UK, here's the orientation that actually matters: Murtala Muhammed International Airport sits in Ikeja, around 22km from Lagos Island's business district, and since a new international terminal opened, most major international carriers — British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, KLM among them — now land there rather than at the older building next to it. If you're on one of those airlines, that newer terminal is almost certainly yours.

The older original terminal has been undergoing renovation and handles a smaller share of flights these days. Either way: confirm your exact terminal with your airline before you travel, not after you've already told your driver where to wait — construction and terminal assignments here have kept shifting, and "which building" is the single most common point of confusion for arriving passengers.

Right after you land

Expect immigration and baggage claim together to take around an hour for a typical international arrival. You'll go through biometric checks — fingerprints and a photo — and immigration will want to see your passport and your visa or eVisa approval. Have it printed and easy to reach, not buried at the bottom of your hand luggage.

Keep your yellow fever certificate ("yellow card") accessible too — it's a mandatory document for entry, and you don't want to be digging for it while a queue builds behind you.

About the "dash"

It's genuinely common to be approached by someone — sometimes in uniform, sometimes not — suggesting a "gift" or "dash" for help you didn't ask for. A polite, firm "no, thank you" is the normal response and is generally all it takes. Stay pleasant, keep moving, and only hand your bags to clearly authorized airport staff.

The connection trap: if you're continuing on a domestic flight

This is the part that catches people out, so it's worth being direct about it: the international terminal is not airside-connected to Lagos's domestic terminals. If you're landing internationally and continuing on to Abuja, Port Harcourt, or anywhere else domestically, you have to physically clear immigration and customs, exit the building, and travel by road to a separate terminal complex about a kilometre or two away.

That's not a quick walk between gates — it's a proper transfer. Give yourself at least two to three hours if you're self-connecting this way, and confirm with your airline in advance exactly which domestic terminal your onward flight uses, since there are two separate domestic buildings serving different airlines. Getting this wrong is a genuinely common way people miss a connection that looked fine on paper.

Getting into the city

Lagos traffic is real and can be unpredictable — the drive to areas like Victoria Island, Ikoyi, or Lekki can take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours depending on time of day. It's worth having your onward transport arranged before you land rather than sorting it out amid the arrivals-hall crowd, and sticking to official taxi services or well-known ride-hailing apps rather than the first person who offers to help with your bags.

The realistic checklist

• Confirm your exact terminal with your airline before travelling — don't assume based on an old guide (this one included)
• Keep your visa/eVisa approval and yellow fever certificate printed and easily reachable, not packed away
• If connecting domestically, allow 2–3 hours minimum and confirm which domestic terminal you need
• Arrange your onward transport in advance rather than improvising at arrivals
• A polite, firm decline is completely normal if anyone asks for an unofficial "gift"

Sorting your documents first? See the UK Passport Holder's Guide to Flying to Lagos.