How do I avoid being Kidnapped in Nigeria’s oil Capital?

Hi Guys! Last month was a tough one for me, keeping up with the blog was quite difficult. My new year resolutions for the blog only survived through January and to be honest, I do not feel bad about it. I do not intend to beat myself up about it, mental health is very important.  It is the first day of March and rather than gloss over how bad I did, I am just going to move on. I got the opportunity to travel from Lagos to Port harcourt in Rivers State to visit Nigeria’s oil capital earlier in the year and this is a brief post on how to get there.

Just to be clear, my title was just to spark up your curiosity and although Port Harcourt is somewhat synonymous with Kidnapping, I did not feel the least bit threatened. My friend says this is most likely because, I wouldn’t make good bait. I am no politicians daughter neither am I a multinational expatriate but I really think that Port Harcourt is quite cool and although there are certain unrationalised fears, this should not stop you from exploring Nigeria’s oil rich state.

There are two ways of traveling from Lagos to Port Harcourt. You can either Travel from Lagos to Port Harcourt by Road or Travel from Lagos to Port Harcourt by Air. I went on a return Trip by Air although I would have loved to travel by Road to help out with information as most people travel by road. However, Lillian a friend, has however made the Lagos to Port Harcourt by Road trip and shares her experience further down.

Lagos to Port Harcourt Flight

There are a few airlines that ply the Lagos to Port Harcourt about one hour flight route.  Arik Air, Air Peace, Dana Air and maybe a few others. While booking flight cost was the determining factor. I choose which ever flight was the cheapest. I wasn’t sure of my date so, departure and return tickets were booked separately. Flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt was about 33,000Naira on Arik and my return ticket was on Dana at about 29,000Naira.

Lagos to Port Harcourt by Road

If you would like to head from Lagos to Port Harcourt by Road, Lillian, recommends God is God Motors, the trip takes between 8-9 hours. She says you can get the GIGM Lagos to Port Harcourt Bus at any of their various terminals including Ajah, Yaba, Jibowu, Festac, Cele, Ikotun, Iyana Ipaja, etc. Choose whichever is close to you.

Lagos to Port Harcourt by Road Price

The transportation cost varies, depending on when you book, and which bus park you book from, but generally less than 10,ooo Naira. There’s a 20% discount if you book through their app. Expect prices to be higher during festive seasons  like Christmas, New Year, and Easter. The closer the departure date gets, the higher you pay.

Also, the Yaba park is usually cheaper than the Jibowu park, because there is more demand at the Jibowu park. The Yaba park is within the Tejuosho complex.

Did you find this useful? Are there any other means of getting from Lagos to Port harcourt by bus? Do not hesitate to let me know in the comment section.