![Multidisciplinary technologist Ade Olufeko inside Sungbo's Eredo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Multidisciplinary_technologist_Ade_Olufeko_inside_Sungbo%27s_Eredo.jpg)
Tourism in Nigeria centers largely on events, due to the country's ample amount of ethnic groups, but also includes
rain forest
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...
s,
savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
,
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
s, and other natural attractions.
Tourists spent 2,6 billion USD in Nigeria in 2015, this dropped to 1,5 billion USD in 2017, probably due to the rise of the Boko Haram insurgency of 2015.
Attractions
Abuja
Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...
is home to several parks and green areas with the largest one being
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago, operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in 2004 and intended to celebrate the third millennium, is a prominent civic center near ...
. Millennium Park was designed by architect
Manfredi Nicoletti
Manfredi Nicoletti (16 June 1930 – 29 October 2017) was an Italian architect.
Biography
Nicoletti is considered a pioneer in Bioclimatic urban and architectural design. In the 1970s his book ''L'ecosistema urbano'' (The Urban Ecosystem) - a t ...
and was officially opened by the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
's
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
in December 2003. Another open area park is located in Lifecamp Gwarimpa; near the residence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The park is located on a slightly raised hilltop which contains sport facilities like Basketball and Badminton courts another park is the city park, it is located in wuse 2 and is home to numerous outdoor and indoor attractions such as a 4D cinema, astro-turf, lawn tennis court, paintball arena and a variety of restaurants.
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, subsequent to the re-modernization project achieved by the previous administration o
Governor Raji Babatunde Fashola is gradually becoming a major tourist destination, being one of the largest cities in Africa and in the world. Lagos is currently taking steps to become a
global city. The 2009 Eyo carnival (a yearly festival originated from
Iperu Remo
Iperu or Iperu Akesan Bale Oja is a town near the Ibu River in Ogun State in the southwestern region of Nigeria. It is the most populous town in the Remo Region of the Ikenne Local Government Area. The entire LGA has an area of 137.13 km² ...
, Ogun State), which took place on 25 April, was a step toward world city status. Currently, Lagos is primarily known as a business-oriented and a fast-paced community.
Urban tourism
Lagos has become an important location for African and "
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
" 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 ar
Festac Food Fair held in FestacTown Annually b
Festaconline Eyo Festival
Lagos Black Heritage Carnival Lagos Carnival, Eko
International Film Festival
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...
, 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
Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting ...
, 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
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, including
Elegushi Beach
Elegushi Beach is a private beach located at Lekki, Lagos state, southwest Nigeria. The beach is owned by the Elegushi royal family in Lekki, Lagos state. Elegushi private beach is seen as one of the best beaches in Lagos and Nigeria at large. Th ...
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
Eko Hotels and Suites is a five-star conference centre hotel in Lagos. 09161518010
History
Established in 1977 as ''Èkó Holiday Inn'' and built on Victoria Island, it is the largest hotel in Nigeria. It was designed by architect Oluwole Olumu ...
,
Federal Palace Hotel
The Federal Palace Hotel is a 5 star hotel with 150-rooms that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, located in the commercial hub of Victoria Island (Nigeria), Victoria Island in Lagos. Established in 1960 as the country's premier international 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
The Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS) is a ceremonial ground (originally called "Race Course") in Lagos Island, Lagos.
History
Lagos Race Course now TBS, was a sports field that hosted horse racing, but included a section for football and ground t ...
,
Festac town
Festac Town is a federal housing estate located along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Lagos State, Nigeria. Its name is derived from the acronym FESTAC, which stands for Second World African Festival of Arts and Culture that was held there in 197 ...
, The
Nike Art Gallery
Nike Art Gallery is an art gallery in Lagos and Osun state owned by Nike Davies-Okundaye. The gallery is one of the largest of its kind in West Africa, it boasts a collection of about 8,000 diverse artworks from various Nigerian artists like Chief ...
,
Freedom Park, Lagos
Freedom Park is a memorial and leisure park area in the middle of downtown Lagos in Lagos Island, Nigeria which was formerly Her Majesty's Broad Street Prison. It was designed by the Architect Theo Lawson.
The Park was constructed to preserve ...
and the
Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos
The Cathedral Church of Christ Marina, Lagos is an Anglican cathedral on Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
History
The foundation stone for the first cathedral building was laid on 29 March 1867 and the cathedral was established in 1869.
Construc ...
.
Resorts and regional tourism
Obudu Mountain Resort
Obudu Mountain Resort (formerly known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch) is a ranch and resort on the Obudu Plateau in Cross River State, Nigeria.
History
It was developed in 1951 by M. McCaughley, McCaughley who first explored the mountain ranges in ...
is a
ranch
A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...
and resort on the
Obudu Plateau
-->
Obudu Plateau is a plateau found on the Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain range, in Cross River State, in the southeast of Nigeria. The plateau is found in Obanliku local government area of the Cross River State. The plateau extends toward ...
in
Cross River State
)
, image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria
, coordinates =
, coor_pinpoint ...
. It was developed in 1951 by M. McCaughley, a
Scot
The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded t ...
who first explored the
mountain ranges
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
in 1949. He camped on the mountaintop of the
Oshie Ridge
Oshie Ridge is found in Obanliku Local Government of Cross River State in Nigeria.The ridge is about high above sealevel. The word Oshie or Ushie denotes justice in the various languages spoken by the former and current inhabitants of the Osh ...
on the
Sankwala Mountains
The Sankwala Mountains are a mountain range in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State in Nigeria. The Sankwala Mountains lie southeast of the town of Obudu, north of the Okwangwo section of Cross River National Park.
The mountains ...
for a month before returning with Mr. Hugh Jones a fellow
rancher in 1951. Together with Dr Crawfeild, they developed the Obudu Cattle Ranch. Although the ranch has been through troubles since, it has been rehabilitated to its former glory.
Since 2005, a
cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems:
* Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable
** Aerial tramway
** Chairlift
** Gondola lift
*** Bi ...
climbing from the base to the top of the plateau gives visitors a scenic view while bypassing the extremely winding road to the top. The resort is found on the
Obudu Plateau
-->
Obudu Plateau is a plateau found on the Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain range, in Cross River State, in the southeast of Nigeria. The plateau is found in Obanliku local government area of the Cross River State. The plateau extends toward ...
, close to the
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
border in the northeastern part of Cross River State, approximately east of the town of
Ogoja
Ogoja is a Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Ogoja town in the northeast of the area near the A4 highway at.
It has an area of 972 km² and a population of 171,901 at the 2006 census.
Its St. Benedict ...
and from the town of
Obudu
Obudu is a local government area and town in Cross River State, Nigeria. The area features a tourist resort, Obudu Mountain Resort, which hosts an annual mountain running competition called the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race. The town of O ...
in
Obanliku
Obanliku is a Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarter is in the town of Sankwala. Obanliku is made up of ten wards namely: Busi, Basang, Bebi, Bisu, Utanga, Becheve, Bendi 1, Bendi 2, Bishiri North & Bishiri South. Oba ...
Local Government Area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
of Cross River State.
It is about 30 minutes drive from Obudu town and is about a drive from Calabar, the Cross River State capital. Charter air service is available to the
Bebi Airport
Bebi Airport is an airport serving Bebi in the Cross River State of Nigeria. It also serves as the airport for the Obudu Mountain Resort. The runway is east of the town of Obudu.
The Bebi VOR-DME (Ident: BEB) is off the threshold of Runway 10 ...
which lies between the village of Obudu and the resort. The ranch has in recent times seen an influx of both Nigerian and international tourists because of the development of tourist facilities by Cross-River State Government, which has turned the ranch into a well known holiday and tourist resort center in Nigeria.
Also,
Ibeno Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country and the longest coastline sand beach in Nigeria and West Africa. It is situated in Jamestown in
Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe ...
. The city is said to be named after the local government where it is located. According to historians, the beach is one of the oldest beaches in Nigeria.
Regulation, awareness and promotion
The tourism industry is regulated by the
.
In an attempt to raise the profile of the country's tourism sector, a
beauty pageant
A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
, the Miss Tourism Nigeria Pageant, was created in 2004.
[ ] The winners in 2004, 2005, and 2006 have been, respectively, Shirley Aghotse,
Abigail Longe,
and Gloria Zirigbe.
In 2017,
Olufeko
Ade Abayomi Olufeko . (born 1980), is an American-born designer, technologist, and entrepreneur primarily active in Lagos. His international work in humanities has been leveraged by Consortiums, NGOs, and high-impact leaders. He is the founder ...
's research in design and its intersections with anthropology, led to a journey inside
Sungbo's Eredo
Sungbo's Eredo is a system of defensive walls and ditches that is located to the southwest of the Yoruba people, Yoruba town of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria (). It was built in 800–1000 AD in honour of the Ijebu noblewoman Oloye Bi ...
, bringing the rampart's narrative back into social dialogue.
See also
*
Visa policy of Nigeria
Visitors to Nigeria require a visa unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Visa policy map
Visa exemption
Citizens of the following 17 countries can visit Nigeria without ...
*
List of national parks of Nigeria
There are several national parks of Nigeria. The Nigeria National Park Service (NNPS) is responsible for preserving, enhancing, protecting and managing vegetation and wild animals in the national parks of Nigeria.
The NNPS is a parastatal under t ...
*
List of museums in Nigeria
This is a list of museums in Nigeria.
*Benin City National Museum
* Old Residency Museum
* Museum of Fawaaz Rocks
* Slave Trade Museum Calabar
* Esiẹ Museum
* Gidan Makama Museum Kano
*Jos Museum
* Kaduna Museum
* Kanta Museum
*National Galler ...
*
Olumo Rock
Olumo Rock is a mountain in south-western Nigeria. It is located in the city of Abeokuta, Ogun State, and was normally used as a natural fortress during inter-tribal warfare in the 19th century. Its patron spirit is venerated in the Yoruba religion ...
*
Sungbo's Eredo
Sungbo's Eredo is a system of defensive walls and ditches that is located to the southwest of the Yoruba people, Yoruba town of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria (). It was built in 800–1000 AD in honour of the Ijebu noblewoman Oloye Bi ...
*
Tarkwa Bay 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 ...
*
Kajuru Castle
Kajuru Castle is a luxury villa, built between the years 1981 and 1989, at Kajuru (Ajure) village in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria. It was built by a German expatriate in Nigeria, living in Kaduna at the time.
The castle is located at about 4 ...
*
Tinapa Resort
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 Gover ...
References
External links
*
{{Tourism in Africa
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...