Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja has released a formal public advisory urging its nationals, especially those living with pre-existing chronic illnesses, to exercise heightened caution when planning transit through Ethiopia’s Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, citing verified fatalities recorded in 2024 linked to the hub’s high elevation.
Officials from the ministry confirmed that 16 Nigerian travellers with documented underlying health complications have lost their lives so far this year while transiting through the busy East African air gateway, though no personal identifying details of the deceased or full official post-mortem cause of death breakdowns have been disclosed to the public at this stage.
Per geographic data, Addis Ababa sits at 2,334 meters (7,657 feet) above sea level, ranking it among the highest national capital cities anywhere on the planet. Bole International Airport operates as a critical intercontinental connectivity node that facilitates millions of passenger journeys annually between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, serving as a core transit point for countless African travellers connecting to global destinations.
The advisory specifically flags travellers diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory conditions as facing significantly elevated health risks when passing through the high-altitude location. Instead of imposing a full travel ban on transits via Addis Ababa, the Nigerian government explicitly clarified that it has no intention of discouraging all Nigerian citizens from using the popular hub, and is only calling for vulnerable groups to seek professional medical consultation before finalizing any travel itinerary that routes through the Ethiopian capital.
Global public health and cardiology experts have long documented the physiological impacts of high-altitude environments, where thinner atmospheric air carries far lower oxygen concentrations than locations at sea level. The American Heart Association notes that this reduced oxygen availability forces the human heart to operate at a far higher workload to pump sufficient oxygen to all bodily systems, a strain that can trigger acute cardiac events including heart failure for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions. Peer-reviewed public health studies also indicate that even otherwise healthy people may experience temporary adverse symptoms including dizziness, persistent fatigue and sudden shortness of breath at high elevations, effects that can escalate into life-threatening complications for people living with chronic lung conditions.
Nigeria cautions against travel via Ethiopia’s main airport due to altitude
