The Canadian government has issued a travel warning cautioning its citizens visiting Nigeria against consuming unregulated and adulterated alcohol, citing recent fatalities linked to dangerously high levels of methanol.

The advisory, updated on the official Canadian travel website, urges travelers to purchase alcohol exclusively from reputable establishments and seek immediate medical assistance if they experience illness after drinking.

The warning follows a recent announcement by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirming that methanol poisoning from locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions caused 48 deaths in Ondo State.

According to NAFDAC, the tragedy has resulted in 182 reported illnesses and left seven victims permanently blind as of mid-September 2026. Laboratory tests on seized unlabelled samples revealed high concentrations of methanol alongside Cannabis indica, with acute oral toxicity testing showing a 50 percent mortality rate in subjects.

Authorities have arrested 15 individuals in connection with the production and distribution of the illicit beverages, while NAFDAC continues to urge the public to avoid unregistered local brews.

Alongside the alcohol caution, Canada’s broader travel advisory maintains a warning against non-essential travel to many parts of Nigeria including the capital, Abuja due to security risks such as terrorism, violent crime, and kidnapping. However, Lagos and Calabar remain exempt from the non-essential travel restriction, with travelers advised to exercise a high degree of caution in those cities.