INTERESTING PLACES IN NIGERIA

Take this Quiz: What do you know about Nigeria?


Nigeria, an African country on the Gulf of Guinea, has many natural landmarks and wildlife reserves. Protected areas such as Cross River National Park and Yankari National Park have waterfalls, dense rainforests, savanna, and rare primate habitats. One of the most recognizable sites is Zuma Rock, a 725m-tall monolith outside the capital of Abuja that’s pictured on the national currency. [1]

There are popular attractions in Nigeria you wouldn’t believe exist. There are 4 different types of attractions in the travel and tourism industry. These are purpose-built attractions, natural attractions, and events and heritage attractions.

 

                                 

Mambilla Plateau at the border of Cameroun and Nigeria in Taraba State

Source: legit.ng

Top 5 tourist attractions in Nigeria you wouldn’t believe exist include:

1.  Obudu Mountain Resort located in Cross River State.

2.  The Ibeano Beach located along the shorelines of Ibeno, a Local Government of Akwa Ibom State.

3.  Awhum waterfall located in Enugu state.

4.  Millennium Park located in Maitama, Abuja.

5.  The Tinapa free zone and resort located in Calabar, Cross River State.[2]

 

How do these attractions vary from region to region?

 

The resort is found on the Obudu Plateau, close to the Cameroon border in the northeastern part of Cross River State, approximately 110 kilometres (68 mi) east of the town of Ogoja and 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the town of Obudu in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State. It is about 30 minutes drive from Obudu town and about a 332 kilometres (206 mi) drive from Calabar, the Cross River State capital [3].

Charter air service is available to the Bebi Airport,  which lies between the village of Obudu and the resort. However, the airstrip is no longer functional, and the cable car has been grounded for a while now.

Secondly, Ibeno Beach is one of the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean along the shorelines of Ibeno. It is located in Ibeno, a local government area of Akwa Ibom State in southeastern Nigeria, which it is named after.[7] The beach is one of the major tourist attractions in southern Nigeria. It is the longest sand beach in West Africa[4][5] Qua Iboe River estuary is the major estuary in Ibeno Beach. Ibeno Beach stretches about 30 kilometres from Ibeno to James Town along the Atlantic coastline of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. It is the best tourist site in Akwa Ibom State; with its beautiful coastline, Ibeno provides endless natural facilities for tourism, water sporting, beach soccer, and general boating.[6]  In June 2010, there was a report of an oil spill on the beach.[8]  Gladly, the beach has been rid of every trace of an oil spill and is still open to the public.

Thirdly, the Awhum Waterfall is located at Amaugwe village of Awhum town in Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria.[9] The Awhum Waterfall is formed out of a massive outcrop of granite rock with water flowing at the top forming a stream. Some part of the waterfall is usually warm through the seasons. The Awhum waterfall is 30 metres high[according to whom?][failed verification] and is located around the Awhum Monastery.

The locals believe the water has healing powers and can drive away evil spirits if used.

The Awhum Waterfall is also a popular tourist location in Nigeria.[10]

Fourthly, the Millennium Park is the largest public park of Abuja,[11][12][13] the capital of Nigeria and is located in the Maitama district of the city.

The Millennium Park was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II on 4 December 2003.[14][15][16] It is near the former Presidential Palace, close to the nucleus of the presidential and administrative buildings of the city.

A river crosses the Park in its main rectilinear axis, dividing it into two parts.

One side of the Park is dedicated to uncontaminated nature. Nigeria's mountain vegetation, savanna, deciduous forest, rainforest and brushwood, as well as greenhouses for butterflies and tropical birds are located in a system of terraces at different levels.

Last but not least, Tinapa is a business and leisure resort located North of Calabar municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria, associated with the Calabar Free Trade Zone. It was developed in four phases under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) promoted by the Government of Cross River State. The resort is located by the Calabar River, contiguous with the Calabar Free Trade Zone.[17]

The resort is connected to the Calabar International Convention Centre by a 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) monorail, built by Intamin, which opened in 2016. In 2017 it was reported the system was working but was not carrying any passengers.[18]

 

 

What are some of the unique features of Nigerian attractions?



The Nigerian attraction has diverse, unique features and is largely based on the ideology of the tourists and differs on some factors such as aesthetics uniqueness, physical visibility, and interpretation.

 

What do visitors need to know to enjoy these attractions?

 

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 temperatures, as it has very temperate weather. The rooms in Obudu Mountain Resort are made up of chalets, standard rooms, executive rooms, and huts to presidential suites.

The Ibeano is the best tourist site in Akwa Ibom State. With its beautiful coastline, Ibeano provides endless natural facilities for tourism, water sporting, beach soccer, and general boating.

The Awhum waterfall is 30 metres high and is located around the Awhum Monastery. Some part of the waterfall is usually warm through the seasons.  The locals believe the water has healing powers and can drive away evil spirits if used. The Awhum Waterfall is also a popular tourist location in Nigeria.

Millennium Park is located in the heart of Abuja city. Tourists and visitors can lodge in the many 5-star hotels around the park. Some of these hotels include the Grand Ibro hotel, which is only 3.63 km away from the park; Bolingo hotel and towers, which is 3.20 km away from the park; Ambience hotel, which is only 2.50 km away, and Barcelona hotels, which is just 2.20 km away from the Millennium Park. It is also located beside the former Presidential Palace, which is close to the centre of presidential and administrative buildings of Abuja city.
Abuja’s Millennium Park does not require any fee to access its amazing features.
Millennium Park is a great place for children to be. There is a special area allocated for children to play. There are numerous children-playing toys, each suitable for different age groups. The Millennium Park is available for people to host their social events, ranging from birthday parties to weddings, burial receptions, engagements, and retirements, among others. 

Tinapa being a Free Trade Zone, no customs duties are applied on imports into the zone. Consequently, the prices of goods sold within the zone are the lowest in the country. With the Tinapa Debit Card, shopping has become even more exciting as no physical cash is required.

 

Test your knowledge and vastness on some topics that pertain Nigeria’s tourism. We have included 50 questions for your perusal.

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References

1.    Google Search

2.    The Guardian

3.    Wikipedia

  1.  ^unwana (2021-03-08). "Ibeno Beach: Everything You Need to Know". Awajis. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  2. ^ "Ibeno Beach: So white, so natural". The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015..
  3. ^ Umoh et al., 2022. "Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether signatures in tropical mesotidal estuary sediments of Qua Iboe River, Gulf of Guinea". Journal of Organic Geochemistry 170, 104461.
  4. ^ "5 Beautiful Places You Should Visit In Akwa Ibom". Nigerian Bulletin - Trending News & Updates. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Fresh oil spill exxonmobi's qua iboe oil field ravages akwa-ibom. Coastline". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  6.  "10 Top Waterfalls in Nigeria – Their Location and History". Nigerian Bulletin - Nigeria News Updates. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  7. ^ "21 places every tourist must visit in Nigeria - TheCable Lifestyle". TheCable Lifestyle. 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  8.  "Millennium Park (Abuja) – FCT Residents Engagement Platform". Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  9. ^ Adebayo, Abdul Jelil (7 August 2022). "As Abuja Millennium Park reopens…". Blueprint Newspapers Limited: Breaking news happening now in Nigeria and todays latest newspaper headlines. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  10. ^ Liman, Hussein Yahaya, Dalhatu (24 June 2022). "Concerns over continued closure of Abuja Millennium Park". Daily Trust. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Abuja minister reopens Millennium Park after two years shutdown". 1 August 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Abuja, Nigeria (1991- ) •". 11 August 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Millennium Park, Abuja, Abuja". Hotels.ng Places. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  14.  "Tinapa Free Zone & Resort". African Sun. 9 March 2009. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.

18.  Image source: Tinapa Tourist Center in Cross River state, Nigeria

                                              Source: tripadvisor.com