NIGERIA TOURIST CENTER

by Ifeanyi Celestine Udensi

Artwork: Kamil & Ifeanyi

Joined Dec 2020
Published Books 2

Tourism in Nigeria centers largely on events, due to the country’s ample amount of ethnic groups, but also includes rain forests, savannah, waterfalls, and other natural attractions,

Some of Nigeria’s historic buildings include the Chief Ogiamen’s House, the wall and moat of Benin City, the Emir’s Palace and the wall of the ancient city of Kano. The minaret of Gobirau in Katsina is the largest mud brick building in Nigeria. The Eredo of Sungbo is the oldest African precolonial archaeological site known to date. The cities of Lagos and Calabar illustrate the colonial history and the slave trade.

Attractions And Culture

Music and dance are an integral part of the Nigerian culture. Nowadays, Nigerian music is very diverse, ranging from traditional music to gospel, juju, reggae and Afrobeat. Afrobeat, one of the more popular forms of music in Nigeria, was created by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti a famous musician of the 1980s. His son Femi Kuti has been dubbed the ‘Bob Marley of Africa’ because of his success and the social message his music transmits.

Nigeria has a film industry known as ‘Nollywood’ is a $3 billion industry and the second biggest in terms of volume, according to a Forbes Siteh

Ancient sculptures made of bronze and other metals have been found in Nigeria. Additionally, Ebony and ivory are also traditional materials used for sculptures.

In the literary world, Chinua Achebe and Ken Saro-Wiwa are well-known Nigeria‘s authors. Another one, Wole Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007.

Urban Tourism

Lagos has become an important location for African and “black” cultural identity. Many festivals are held in Lagos; festivals vary in offerings each year and may be held in different months. Some of the festivals are Festac Food Fair held in Festac Town Annually by Festaconline, Eyo Festival, Lagos Black Heritage Carnival, Lagos Carnival, Eko International Film Festival, Lagos Seafood Festac Festival, LAGOS PHOTO Festival and the Lagos Jazz Series, which is a unique franchise for high-quality live music in all genres with a focus on jazz. Established in 2010, the popular event takes place over a 3–5 day period at selected high quality outdoor venues. The music is as varied as the audience itself and features a diverse mix of musical genres from rhythm and blues to soul, Afrobeat, hip hop, bebop, and traditional jazz. The festivals provide entertainment of dance and song to add excitement to travelers during a stay in Lagos.

Lagos has a number of sandy beaches by the Atlantic Ocean, including Elegushi Beach and Alpha Beach. Lagos also has a number of private beach resorts including Inagbe Grand Beach Resort and several others in the outskirts.

Lagos has a variety of hotels ranging from three star to five star hotels, with a mixture of local hotels such as Eko Hotels and Suites, Federal Palace Hotel and franchises of multinational chains such as Intercontinental Hotel, Sheraton and Four Points by Hilton. Other places of interest include the Tafawa Balewa Square, Festac town, The Nike Art Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos and the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos.

Resorts and regional tourism In Nigeria

Obudu Mountain Resort
Ibeno Beach
Enugu Water Fall
Elegushi Beach
Tinapa Resort
Tarkwa Beach
Karjuru Castle
Olumo Rock

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Nigeria offers conditions for a great number of outdoor activities such as climbing the Chappal Waddi, the highest mountain in Nigeria, visiting the Mambilla Plateau by ATV, hiking on the Obudu Plateau, horse-riding, safari, boating or canoeing, or enjoying the Calabar beach and marshes.

SHOPPING

On Jankara market, the largest market in Lagos, one can find a wide selection of traditional Nigerian textiles and light, loose and colourful clothes. The materials used are lace, the Adire (indigo-dyed fabric) and Ankara (wax-dyed fabric). Women traditionally wear loose blouses falling below the waist (buba), iro (a rectangular piece wrapped around the waist) and a cap (gele). The Sokoto are loose trousers worn by men. There are also handmade beads, jewelry and pottery. Part of the market is devoted to the sale of traditional herbs, medicine (juju), potions and powders. The Balogun market in Lagos also offers a wide range of similar products. Good deals can also be found on the Isaiah Eko or Bar beach markets.

Obudu Mountain Resort, formerly known as Obudu Cattle Ranch, developed in 1951 by M. McCaughley, a scottish who was the first to explore the mountain ranges. It is one of the most beautiful and pleasant tourist centers in Nigeria. It is situated on the Obudu Plateau, this altitude gives you a grand view of the whole environment with fresh mountain air to your nostrils. Close to the Cameroon border, in the Northeastern part of Cross Rivers State. This resort center has grown to become a major destination choice for tourists. It has an attractive landscape and calming ambience, with clouds smiling down on its peaks and valleys. It offers visitors a good blend of warm and cold temperature, as it has a very temperate weather.

TINAPA RESORT

Tinapa is a business and leisure resort located North of Calabar municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria

Tarkwa Beach

Tarkwa Bay is an artificial sheltered beach located near the Lagos harbour in Nigeria. Due to its island status, it is only accessible by boat or water taxis. The beach, popular with swimmers and water-sports enthusiasts, also has a welcoming resident community

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