Moving to Nigeria from Malawi
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malawi to Nigeria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malawi to Nigeria. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Abuja averages 91°F vs 75°F in Lilongwe, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Malawi and Nigeria stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Nigeria leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Malawi performs better than Nigeria across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Nigeria generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Nigeria generally does better on employment & economy, though Malawi leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Malawi generally does better on family life, though Nigeria leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Malawi Revenue Authority (2016), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lilongwe | Abuja |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) | 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) | 91°/69°F (33°/21°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) | 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) | 93°/64°F (34°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lilongwe | Abuja |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) | 94°/69°F (34.7°/20.4°C) |
| Feb | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) | 98°/78°F (36.8°/25.5°C) |
| Mar | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) | 98°/76°F (36.9°/24.3°C) |
| Apr | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) | 96°/76°F (35.6°/24.7°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 91°/67°F (32.7°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Jul | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) | 84°/71°F (29.1°/21.9°C) |
| Aug | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) | 86°/64°F (30.0°/17.5°C) |
| Oct | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) | 90°/71°F (32.0°/21.4°C) |
| Nov | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) | 94°/60°F (34.4°/15.7°C) |
| Dec | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) | 94°/60°F (34.6°/15.5°C) |
Data:
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
Nigerian Meteorological Agency
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malawi and Nigeria. To live, work, or study long-term in Nigeria, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Nigeria's immigration authority.
Malawi passport holder visiting Nigeria
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Nigeria passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Nigeria?
With 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Nigeria can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Malawi and Nigeria.
Is Nigeria safe for expats?
Malawi generally does better on safety, though Nigeria leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Nigeria is 15.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Malawi.
How is healthcare in Nigeria compared to Malawi?
Malawi generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Nigeria, compared to 0.5 in Malawi. Nigeria scores 38 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malawi: 48).
What's the weather like in Nigeria compared to Malawi?
The average high temperature in Abuja is 91°F, compared to 75°F in Lilongwe. Abuja receives around 48.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lilongwe gets 50.7 in.
What language do they speak in Nigeria?
The official language in Nigeria is English. In Malawi, the official languages are Chewa and English.
