Nigeria to Cameroon by Sea. How safe is it? 1.0

Okay so in this article, I’ll be talking about my trip from Nigeria to Cameroon by sea. I have also made a little video to show you a glimpse of what it really looks like. It is one actually better experienced than narrated.

In search for agricultural content, one would always be faced with issues around the cost of transportation and the likes and that is what led to this exploration.

While looking around the internet for clues and maybe videos on how to embark on this trip, I found general ideas, speculations, or obsolete information on this route.

Now, traveling by sea from Nigeria to Cameroon is the cheapest means.

Festive periods, hikes in fuel prices, and scarcity of boats could spike prices.  When coming from Nigeria you will be asking some questions like, do I need a visa to come to Cameroon? Now, you would agree with me that Nigeria is in West Africa, while Cameroon, is in Central Africa.

However, Nigeria has bilateral relationships with Cameroon, making it possible for Nigerians to come to Cameroon, and Cameroonians to go to Nigeria without a visa for 90 days. It is expected that you should apply for a residence permit within the 90 days or go back to your country.

Nigeria to Cameroon | A Snippet

Okay. That being said, you will have to get to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, and take a vehicle going to Oron. It’s now easier to book your ride beforehand by clicking on the links at the end of this post.

It is not actually a ship, but a speedboat. Now the different speed boats are differentiated by their sizes and engine horsepower capacity. These engines actually range from 75 horsepower to 200 horsepower.

Now you might be wondering how safe it is to travel by sea from Nigeria to Cameroon, I will come to that later. So after buying your tickets, you will have to go to the Nigeria Immigration Service office at the beach to stamp your passport and check the validity of your yellow card.

These boats normally carry a lot of cargo but are meant to carry between 20 and 25 passengers, depending on the size of the boats and engine; and so on this very day, I took a boat carrying some cargo with six passengers.

How many hours does it take from Nigeria to Cameroon?

It takes about two and half hours to three hours to cross from Oron to the border town called Idenau (Idina). Now, immediately after the journey commences, you will come across a lot of checkpoints. It will amaze you to know that you have Nigerian customs, Nigerian immigration, the Nigerian Navy, and the marine police which is an arm of the Nigerian police force.

These security agencies ensure that the movement of cargo and persons are safe from pirates and illegal activities. These speed boats do not over speed and this reduces the risk of incidents.  So within three hours, you should be in Cameroon.

Now when you get to Idenau (Idina), you will also have to do the basic documentation with the Cameroonian immigration service, the Cameroon police, and the health service who in turn also check your yellow card for vaccinations on yellow fever, hepatitis, and other diseases.  

How much is the transport from Nigeria to Cameroon?

As of the time of this post, the boat fare from Nigeria to Cameroon costs approximately $50. Depending on where you are located in Nigeria, the fare that would get you to Oron cannot be fixed.

Thereafter, you take a vehicle either going to Limbe, Douala, or Yaounde. Limbe is the closest to Idenau, about 30mins drive from the port of entry. From the port, you will spend at least 4 hours to Douala and 5 hours to Yaounde, depending on the means of transportation. It will cost 7,000 CFA or more to arrive at any of these city centers.

So when you add the 3 hours spent on the sea to the 9 hours spent to Yaounde which is the country’s capital, you would have spent 12 to 13hours on the road. It is a nice adventure to take, cheap and very safe!

To ease the stress of traveling, we have packages for individuals with or without immigration clearance. Also, there is a package for individuals who might need a vehicle ride from Idenau(Idina – Cameroon) to Douala.

Our boat ride package comes with complementary one-night accommodation.

Note, you need to book 3 days before your travel date.

To book a boat ride Click Here

For any other questions, drop a comment or send us a mail at sabiagrik@gmail.com