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Where is the country of Nigeria located? The African country of Nigeria is located on the Gulf of Guinea and borders Benin, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Nigeria is the country with the most inhabitants in Africa (more than 200 million). The location south of the Sahel ensures that the vast majority of Nigeria consists of tropical areas. About three quarters of Nigeria has a tropical savanna climate, which changes into a tropical monsoon climate in the south. Locally, the southeast has a few areas where, due to more intense rainfall in the winter months, there is a tropical rainforest climate. In the north of Nigeria are mainly steppe areas, merging in the far north into desert plains. The north of Nigeria is considerably drier than the rest of the country, giving it a warm steppe climate and near the border with Niger and Chadof a warm desert climate.

Savannah

The vast majority of Nigeria – in fact everything between the arid north and the forested south – consists of savanna. The landscape there consists mainly of grasses supplemented with trees, trees, shrubs and flowers. The large savanna area in Nigeria has a dry period, which coincides with the winter period in the northern hemisphere. From April, the amount of precipitation and the number of rainy days increase considerably. This rainy season lasts until mid-October, after which a period of relative drought starts again. During the monsoon period, between four hundred and fifteen hundred millimeters of precipitation falls. The daytime temperatures, which were still in the direction of 40 degrees in March and April, drop to a less hot 30 to 32 degrees in July and August.

Tropical rainforest

In the extreme south of Nigeria, the landscape changes to a denser area. Especially along the coast you will find many square kilometers of tropical forests. Some higher elevations, such as the Obudi Plateau, have to deal with lower temperatures and different vegetation. Between April and November there is an annual rainfall of 4200 millimeters, while the mercury can drop to 4 to 10 degrees Celsius during the night. Most areas in the south of Nigeria have to deal with tropical temperatures, which are around thirty degrees all year round. The night temperature here is between 20 and 25 degrees. Southern Nigeria has a distinctly wet season from April to October, with an average of 1,500 to 2,500 millimeters of precipitation.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Nigeria

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Nigeria? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country located in western Africa. The northernmost strip of Nigeria is located in the Sahel. This is also the driest region of the country. As you go south, the amount of rain increases progressively. Because Nigeria has a rainy season that falls throughout the country in and around summer, we can quite easily determine a best travel period for this African country. The period from November to February is the best time to travel to Nigeria. It is then dry, sunny and warm, without getting too hot. Nigeria is not your average holiday destination. There are structural problems in the area of ​​security. If you want to travel to Nigeria, first check out the current travel advice for Nigeria.

Precipitation

In the far northeast of Nigeria there is an average annual rainfall of less than 600 millimeters. In the centrally located capital Abuja you get more than double: about 1200 to 1300 millimeters of rain per year. Lagos, which lies to the southwest on the coast, receives about 1500 to 1600 millimeters of rain annually and the southeastern coastal areas can count on more than two thousand millimeters. That is the only region of Nigeria where the tropical rainforest climate occurs. Most of the rain falls within the rainy season. The north has the shortest rainy season: from mid-May to September. In the central part of Nigeria, the monsoon starts in late April and lasts well into October. In the south, the rainy season starts in April and lasts until early November. It is striking for the coastal area that it not only rains more, but that it is quite often cloudy due to the high relative humidity. During the dry season there is still regular showers in winter, while in the rest of Nigeria the months of December, January, February and March are practically dry.

Tropical temperatures

It is tropically warm in Nigeria almost all year round. Under the influence of the monsoon, temperatures vary throughout the year. In the central interior, the year starts quite hot: count on an average of 35 degrees as the maximum temperature in January, rising to 36 to 38 degrees in February and March. From April, the temperature drops slightly, reaching about 28 to 32 degrees Celsius in the summer. Once the monsoon is over, temperatures will rise again. The dry north follows a similar pattern, but has slightly higher maximum temperatures in April and May. In the south you can see that the winters are slightly less hot. February and March are the hottest months on the Nigerian coast with average highs of 33 degrees.