NIGERIA: ENJOY SIGHTS OF A LIFETIME

Nigeria, with a land mass of over 356,000 square miles is a country with spectacular sights ,a wide range of fauna and exciting places for vacationing, exploration and sightseeing. The country is blessed with tropical rain forests, savannah grasslands, mangrove swamps and the sahel savannah near the Sahara.              

Visitors to Nigeria will be thrilled by the marvels of nature that abound in the land, rare, amazing plants and animals seen only on special television programmes or magazines. These plants and animals live in their natural habitats undisturbed by man. Nature has also endowed Nigeria with many natural resources and with some of the wonders of the natural world, which can be viewed by visitors to those locations.

Nigeria’s prime natural tourist attractions include the following:

Ikogosi Warm Springs – this is a natural warm spring that flows and mixes with cold water issuing from another spring. This place attracts tourists from all over         the      world.
  Owu Falls – located in Kwara State of Nigeria, it is the steepest natural waterfall in West Africa and is surrounded by a tropical rainforest in which can be found a wide range of animals and plants not seen in other parts of the            world.
  Niger-Benue Confluence – This is where the Rivers Niger and Benue join at Lokoja. It can be toured on available boats, on canoes or viewed from the closeby hill giving a panoramic view of the confluence.

Assop Falls – located about 40 miles from Jos city, it is a lovely place for picnicking, swimming and enjoying the grand view of the scenic landscape.
  Wikki Warm Springs – Deep inside the Yankari Game Reserve is this warm water spring that stays the same warm temperature day and night.

With a coastline of about 350 miles, Nigeria has natural sites with tropical coconuts, mangrove and other seaside vegetation for vacationers and visitors to enjoy the Atlantic. Several beaches are open to visitors including Badagry, Lekki, Bar, Eleko, Calabar etc. 

The display of the full culture and heritage of the people of Nigeria is usually colourful, exciting and memorable. Periodic festivals of the people include the following which tourists will find remarkable and interesting:

EYO FESTIVAL: This annual festival of the people of the Eko people of Lagos holds annually and usually culminates in the display of masquerades adorned resplendently in white flowing dresses and hats to       match.

KWA-GHIR FESTIVAL: A festival of the Tiv people in Benue state of Nigeria, it is a display of traditional masquerades, Puppet Theater, some forms of acrobatics, dancing, music and sartorial display. A colourful festival indeed, it attracts many people and is accentuated by the friendliness and warm welcome of the Tiv people of Nigeria.
 

THE DURBAR: This is usually a festival culminating in a horse race at the behest of an Emir, a traditional ruler. With roots in the Islamic way of life, the Durbar is colourful, exciting and open to all to    watch.
 

ARGUNGU FISHING FESTIVAL: Argungu is located in Sokoto state in the North Western part of Nigeria. It is famous for its fishing festival in which a lake is stocked with fish and which are fed until the time of the festival. Individuals go into the lake without the aid of boats and the competition goes the one with the largest catch. This festival is international and attracts visitors from all over      the       world.
 

ARGUNGU MOTOR RALLY: As part of the fishing festival, car manufacturers and marketers have organised the annual motor rally in which cars go through an endurance race over country roads. Notable names like Toyota, Mercedes         and Peugeot    feature in the  rally.
 

BOAT REGATTA: The Izons and other peoples of the Niger Delta Area have festivals that include extremely colourful boat regattas and water races. Canoe races are also a feature and visitors are attracted to these from various parts of the world.

NEW YAM FESTIVAL OF THE IGBOS: The new yam festival is rooted in the ancient worship of the gods of the land for a fruitful harvest. Modernised and still as flamboyant as ever, the festival holds around August and features masquerades, traditional dances, wrestling competitions and other sporting and gaming events.

OTHER TOURIST/ VACATIONING SITES 

KAINJI LAKE GAME RESERVE: See elephants, lions, hippos and crocodiles in their natural habitats. Also visit the craft shops at Wawa and enjoy the delicate cuisine of the local communities. This game reserve is located in Niger   and      Kwara states   of Nigeria.
 

ESIE MUSEUM: this museum displays terracotta artifacts and figurines dating from the 13th to the 16th century and shown to be doing various things from dancing to weaving. The Esie Museum is located in Esie town, about 100km from Ilorin in Kwara State.

GOLF COURSES:  Nigeria has many golf courses where vacationers can get the best of games surrounded by the grandest views of nature. Golf courses include the IBB Golf Course in Abuja, Lamingo in Jos, and others in Ewekoro, Ikeja, Ilorin, Ibadan and other parts of Nigeria.   
 

ROCK PAINTINGS OF BIRNIN KUDU:  Reputed to be thousands of years old, these painting depict the lifestyle of the people that inhabited that area of Jigawa         State   in times gone   by.
 

OBUDU CATTLE RANCH: The ranch is located in Cross River state of Nigeria and has near temperate climate owing to its location on high hills. As a tourist attraction, it has a waterfall, a gorilla habitat, and opportunities to see a variety of birds.

Visitors to Nigeria will find a warm welcome from the people. Airlines have regular shuttle flights from Lagos to the major tourist and commercial centres of the country. Hotels and guest houses also provide excellent local and international cuisine as desired by      visitors.

For more information           contact:
Federal Ministry of Culture &            Tourism
Fed. Sec. Complex, Phase II, Bulet Building, (Block A 1st Floor, Block B 5th Floor), Maitama    District,Abuja.
PMB 473 Garki,          Abuja.
Tel: (09)           2348297,2348311
Fax: (09)          2348257
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website:www.fmct-nigeria.net