Smoking at Nigeria Airports (LOS)

English

Yes, you can smoke at Nigeria’s main airports, in the designated zones outside the terminal buildings — the spots the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) names in its own passenger FAQ. Abuja (ABV) adds one option past the checkpoint: the Pearl Lounge in the New International Terminal has a separate smoking room, entered on a lounge card or a paid booking. Lagos (LOS) has no airside equivalent. The terminal interiors are smoke-free, and e-cigarettes follow the same rule as cigarettes at FAAN’s airports.

For international travel through Nigeria, Lagos (LOS) is the busiest gateway in West Africa; Abuja (ABV) serves the capital.

How Nigerian Airport Smoking Works

The National Tobacco Control Act 2015 permits designated smoking areas at airports as an exception to the indoor ban, and FAAN, which runs the airports, sets where they sit:

A designated smoking area must occupy no more than 10% of the premises, be ventilated, and not affect non-smoking areas
FAAN’s passenger FAQ puts the designated zones outside the terminal buildings and states there is no smoking past security
E-cigarettes carry the same restrictions at FAAN’s airports and belong in the same outdoor zones
The one exception past a checkpoint is the Pearl Lounge smoking room at Abuja, on paid lounge entry

The Main Airports

Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS). Nigeria’s main gateway and the busiest in West Africa. Smoking is in the designated zones outside the terminal buildings, on both the international (MMA1) and domestic (MMA2) sides. The terminal interiors are smoke-free, and none of the airside lounges at Lagos has a smoking room — the Oasis Lounge and Lounge One are non-smoking outright.

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV), Abuja. The Pearl Lounge in the New International Terminal (Module F, Level 0, open 24 hours) has a separate smoking room, after the last security check; entry is on a lounge-membership card or a paid booking at around $30 per adult, and the lounge serves international and in-transit departures. The SDS Lounge and Lounge One have no smoking room, and the designated outdoor zones sit outside the terminal buildings landside.

Tips for Smokers at Nigerian Airports

Smoke before you join the screening queue — the designated zones are outside the terminal buildings at both airports
Abuja is the exception past the checkpoint, and it costs a lounge entry; budget for it or smoke landside first
E-cigarettes follow the cigarette rule at FAAN’s airports — the outdoor zones, never the concourse or onboard
Lagos has no airside smoking on either the MMA1 or MMA2 side, so plan the break around security

Nigeria Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security

Airport	After security	Indoor room	Outdoor area
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS)	–	–	Yes

Last updated: September 26, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you smoke at Nigerian airports?

Yes — in the designated zones outside the terminal buildings, which FAAN’s own passenger FAQ names as the place to smoke at its airports. Abuja (ABV) adds one option past the checkpoint: the Pearl Lounge in the New International Terminal has a separate smoking room, entered on a lounge card or a paid booking. The terminal interiors are smoke-free.

Where can I smoke at Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS)?

In the designated zones outside the terminal buildings, on both the international (MMA1) and domestic sides. The terminal interiors and gate areas are smoke-free, and none of the airside lounges at Lagos has a smoking room, so a cigarette after security means exiting and re-screening.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Nigerian airports?

Yes — in the same designated zones outside the terminal buildings. FAAN’s passenger FAQ puts e-cigarettes under the same restrictions as cigarettes at its airports and confines them to those outdoor zones, so the terminal interiors are vape-free. Never vape onboard an aircraft.

Is there smoking after security at Lagos Airport?

The designated smoking areas at Lagos sit outside the terminal buildings, so take your cigarette before you join the screening queue, or exit and re-clear the checkpoint. FAAN’s passenger FAQ states there is no smoking once you have passed through security, and no Lagos lounge has a smoking room.

What does Nigeria's tobacco law say about airport smoking?

The National Tobacco Control Act 2015 allows designated smoking areas at airports as an exception to the indoor ban, provided they occupy no more than 10% of the premises, are ventilated, and don’t affect non-smoking areas.