File:Indimi_Mosque_Maiduguri_Borno_State_Nigeria.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Maiduguri

Also known as Yerwa

Maiduguri ( ) is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria, on the continent of Africa. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British Empire during the colonial period. As of 2022, Maiduguri is estimated to have a population of approximately two million people, in the metropolitan area.

OverviewAI-generated

Maiduguri is a city in Nigeria, situated in Africa. It serves as the capital of Borno State and was established in 1909. The city is located at an elevation of 320 meters above sea level and operates in the UTC+01:00 time zone. Its population is recorded as 1,197,497.

The area is part of the Borno State administrative region. While specific weather data indicates a current temperature of 32.81 degrees and humidity of 40 percent, these are transient measurements. The city’s official website is associated with the Borno State government.

Synthesized by Vinony from 44 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, Openweathermap, Open Meteo, OpenStreetMap, GeoNames, Vinony graph, Geo. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Weather now

cached 17h ago

27°broken clouds

59% 3.2 m/s OpenWeatherMap

7-day forecast

via Open-Meteo

Place details

Locality: Maiduguri
Region: Borno
Country: Nigeria
Population: 1,110,000
Timezone: Africa/Lagos

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Air quality

58US AQIModerate

PM2.5: 10.0 µg/m³
PM10: 19.6 µg/m³

As of 2026-08-11 01:00 · Open-Meteo

Key facts

Settlement.official_name: Maiduguri
Settlement.other_name: Yerwa
Settlement.image_skyline: Indimi Mosque Maiduguri Borno State Nigeria.jpg
Settlement.image_caption: The Indimi Mosque situated in Maiduguri
Settlement.pushpin_map: Nigeria
Settlement.pushpin_label_position: bottom
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption: Location in Nigeria
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_type1: State
Settlement.subdivision_name1: Borno
Settlement.area_total_km2: 105.5
Settlement.population_as_of: 2022 projection
Settlement.population_total: 791,200
Settlement.population_density_km2: auto
Settlement.population_blank1_title: Ethnicities
Settlement.population_blank2_title: Religions
Settlement.demographics_type1: GDP (PPP, 2015 int. Dollar)
Settlement.demographics1_title1: Year

via Wikipedia infobox

Travel guide

Understand

Maiduguri is the principal trading hub for north-eastern Nigeria. Its economy is largely based on services and trade with a small share of manufacturing.

Maiduguri is home to three markets which include a modern "Monday market".

Get in

thumb|General_Muhammad_Buhari_International_Airport_Maiduguri.jpg_03

There have been no passenger services to Maiduguri, the government wants to reestablish the rail link and have made several promises of renewed traffic "soon". Don't hold your breath, though as the lines are targeted by organized armed groups. The old is north of city center.

Buses are the main form of land transport and ABC Transport amongst others offers overnight from Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and daytime buses from Kano and Jos.

Travelling by car is not possible, due to insecurity on all national highways in and out of Maiduguri preventing travel by anyone except local people. NGOs, UN and government staff are forbidden from travelling more than a few kilometers out of Maiduguri by road, and attacks, robberies, and informal checkpoints either by Islamist insurgents or common criminals is extremely common. National roads A3, which continues towards N'Djamena, and A4 passes by the city.

Get around

You will occasionally see large convoys of military jeeps, passenger vans, and black SUVs driving through the city at high speeds with sirens on. Do not attempt to overtake or cut into these convoys, which mainly transport government officials between the airport and Government House. To pass the time, try to count the number of vehicles in the convoy: the higher the number, the more important the person. Yellow kekes (tuk-tuks), blue buses and tricycles are local ways of transportation. Count 1USD (1,500NGN) for 45mins of keke, and 20cents (300NGN for the same by tricycle). Sitting on the side of the tricycle can be dangerous though, and expose you to robbers.

Sleep

Usually, fancy places with 24/24 electricity and AC prices range from 50,000NGN. Cheaper hotels prices range from 25,000NGN, but electricity and ACs may never work during your stay (October 2024).

Stay safe

Maiduguri is the epicenter of the Islamist Insurgency in Northeast Nigeria and, despite heavy military presence and relative security within the confines of the city, militants are able to move freely only 20 km from the city center. Rocket and mortar attacks on targets within Maiduguri, particularly in the west of the city around the airport, are common. Bomb attacks within the city have not happened for some time, but cannot be ruled out. Any person coming to Maiduguri for the first time should be well acquainted with War zone safety.

The North of Maiduguri as well as other less urban outskirts are extremely unsafe with occurrences of violent and non-violent crime and occasionally communal violence. Risks range from pickpocketing to muggings and abduction for ransom. The lack of mains electricity within the city means that much of it is very dark after nightfall. Do not walk on the streets at night and ensure that the doors to your accommodation are locked securely. You should aim to stay in accommodation with high, barbed wire walls and armed security if possible.

If you find yourself approaching a protest or demonstration where people seem agitated, calmly but quickly turn your vehicle around and drive away. Do not attempt to pass through crowds in a vehicle. Demonstrations in Maiduguri are illegal, and can quickly devolve into violence on the side of either police or demonstrators. Foreigners may be targeted at such events.

It is recommended that you hire a vehicle w…

Connect

Maiduguri is a city in northeastern Nigeria, and connecting with people there may require some effort due to the current security situation. However, here are some ways to connect with people in Maiduguri:

Phone Use mobile phone networks like MTN, Glo, or Airtel to reach out to individuals or organizations. Local Radio Stations Reach out to local radio stations broadcasting in Maiduguri to share messages or announcements.

Community Centers Connect with community centers, mosques, or churches to reach local residents.