Families are always very concerned when it comes to travelling with children. They are very sensitive to new environments and that may cause inconvenience to your entire trip. If they are disturbed, physically or emotionally, additional care and attention has to be given to them. Therefore, it is a must to know all the travelling strategies and tips from the experienced ones to enjoy your trip fully. It’s not only the health concerns that should be taken into consideration, but also how you can input the places into your trip schedule where your children would love and enjoy. Apart from that, you must also know in detail of all the documents required and all the legal processing of travel you need to fulfil for your child along with yours. Here we are going to confer comprehensively on the things you definitely must know before travelling to Nigeria with children.
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Documentation and Visa processing:
Just like any adult individual, children must also possess their own passport and visa to travel to another country. People often have a misconception that infants or young children do not require a visa and can travel with their parents only with the proof of birth certificate, but that is not correct. No child is allowed to travel without a visa. You can obtain the children visa for Nigeria by applying for the Infant Visa if you have a newborn visa and fulfil all the requirements asked by the Consulate of Nigeria.
For every applicant, one application form has to be filled and documents attached to attain the Visa. The documents need for an Infant or minor visa vary from an adult. The basic requirements are the same: passport with certain months of validity, two photographs, application form, payment receipt, flight itinerary, medical requirement and letter of invitation. The exception is the letter of acceptance in which the parents’ consent to apply for the visa and should be signed by both the parents. It should have the parent’s name as per their passport and along with copies of the birth certificate of the child. In case one parent has a sole custody, then the legal documentation should be submitted as proof.
Once all the documents have been prepared you can select the Consulate you have chosen in the application form and send all the documents thereon to start your visa processing.
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Medical concerns:
Children are susceptible to diseases as their immune system is quite weak. West Africa has major diseases which can spread easily around the children. One of those is Malaria, which can cause fatal deaths in small child. Reports have been made of worldwide deaths caused by Malaria in children. People who are visiting family and friends in Nigeria are in more danger because they don’t take this very seriously and thus end up being negligent in taking preventive measures. There are many medicines or injections licensed for children to take to prevent them against Malaria. A breastfeeding mother should consult with her doctor as to which prevention to opt for.
The international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is a must for all children above 9 months old and adults. Nigeria, especially, demands all applicants to take vaccination against it if they are coming from a YF infected area.
Another aspect to be very careful about is Polio and since Nigeria is one of those countries where polio is still prevalent, your child will be in threat if you don’t take the measures recommended by the experts. You can visit the doctor to ensure if any additional booster is required before your travel. Since polio is spread by ingesting anything contaminated with feces, you’ll never know how to save our child from being affected by it. Therefore, the best action to take is to consult your doctor and take preventive measures.
Other immunizations include typhoid, hepatitis, tetanus and measles. Children should be subjected to these on an up-to-date basis. Even the simplest of health concern, like diarrhea, can be fatal for young children. If you have oral rehydration salts you can easily administer them to your kids.
Food is vital part of good health and therefore you can serve children with fish oil, vegetables and related foods that have the potential to boost the immune system.
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Amusement for children in Nigeria
There are many places to have an enjoyable evening or weekend with your family within Nigeria. Pre-planning is a good way to keep track and take the most out of your days in Nigeria. The one place your children are sure to have a blast is the Yankari Games Reserve. Different kinds of wildlife can be found there such as elephants, baboons, hippos and many others. It also has a Marshall Cave system and Wikki Warm springs, both of which will be enticing and amusing for the children. It also has outdoor and indoor sports facilities to keep the children occupied while you enjoy the overall ambience with your other half. For other wildlife views, you can visit the Okomu National Park which has around 150 varieties of birds that are displayed beautifully. Children love to see new sceneries and interesting moments with their eyes and this would definitely be one experience they would always remember.
Besides wildlife, there are also huge amusement and water parks where rides are offered for all age groups and exciting worlds are displayed with colorful creativity. The fantasy world, especially in Funtopia, is beyond amazing. It is located in Ibeju-Lekki. A different play area is also provided for kids below age of three so the adults with them can enjoy their swim, water sports and relax without leaving their children bored somewhere. Wonderland Amusement Park and resort, located in Abuja, is famous for its world class recreation center.
Chilling at the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach is mesmerizing for all. It serves as a great picnic point for families where cultural entertainers are found every now and then to make your trip even more tempting.