{"id":839053,"date":"2026-11-15T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-15T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mereja.com\/index\/?p=839053"},"modified":"2026-11-15T13:48:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-15T18:48:02","slug":"nigeria-warns-travelers-with-heart-and-lung-conditions-about-addis-ababa-after-16-citizens-died-in-transit-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.com\/index\/839053","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria warns travelers with heart and lung conditions about Addis Ababa after 16 citizens died in transit this year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The travel advisory on Addis Ababa that Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X on November 13, 2026. Credit: Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@NigeriaMFA) on X.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nigeria has told its citizens with heart and lung conditions to get medical advice before flying through Addis Ababa, saying 16 Nigerians have died this year from problems it linked to the city’s altitude.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an advisory issued on Friday that its mission in the Ethiopian capital recorded the deaths among Nigerians transiting through the city. Addis Ababa sits about 2,355 meters above sea level, “where lower atmospheric pressure results in reduced oxygen availability,” the ministry said, adding that “people with certain pre-existing medical ailments, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, may experience increased health risks in such conditions.” It gave no details of the deaths, such as their dates, ages or causes.<\/p>\n

The ministry said the notice was not meant to discourage Nigerians from traveling to Ethiopia or using Addis Ababa as a transit point, but to make sure vulnerable travelers are informed. Addis Ababa is the main hub of Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, and a regular connecting point for Nigerians flying to destinations abroad, Premium Times noted.<\/p>\n

Reaction in Nigeria was mixed. “16 Nigerians died in Addis Ababa. The government has not explained the circumstances,” one Nigerian news account wrote, while others shared advice for passengers with heart conditions or questioned why the deaths were blamed on altitude alone. The Kenyan outlet Kenyans.co.ke said the warning raised questions for Kenyan travelers who also connect through Addis Ababa.<\/p>\n

Mereja Media found no response from Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority by Saturday evening. According to U.S. CDC guidance, most healthy travelers adapt to moderate altitude, but that people with serious heart or lung disease can be at higher risk in places with thinner air.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/h4>\n