Any Travels

Nigeria is situated at the extreme inner corner of the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa. It borders with Chad to the northeast, Cameroon to the east, Benin to the west, Niger to the northwest and by the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Guinea) to the south.

Along the entire coastline of Nigeria lies a belt of mangrove swamp forest from 10 to 60 miles in width, which is intersected by branches of the Niger Delta and innumerable other smaller rivers and creeks. Beyond the swamp forest is a zone, from 50 to 100 miles wide, of undulating tropical rain forest. The country then rises to a plateau at a general elevation of 2,000 ft but reaching 6,000 ft to the east, and the vegetation changes from woodland to savannah. In the extreme north, the country approaches the southern part of the Sahara.

The Niger, the third largest river in Africa, enters Nigeria from the Northwest and runs in a southeasterly direction, meeting its principal tributary, the Benue, at Lokoja, about 340 miles from the sea. It then flows south to the Delta, through which it runs into the Gulf of Guinea via numerous channels. Other main tributaries of the Niger are the Sokoto and Kaduna rivers. The second great drainage system of Nigeria flows north and east from the central plateau and empties into Lake Chad.

Nigeria is the most populous country of Africa with over 137 million inhabitants. Its an oil rich but otherwise very poor country because of rampant corruption.

Abuja the capital is a growing city with modern landscape. Ibadan is the second biggest cities, and from a distance it looks a lot like an Italian city, because of the colour of the roofs of the houses. The centre for Tropical Agriculture is not only a very interesting place but also boasts one of the best Golf courts in the country.

The most interesting city of the North is without a doubt Kano . A very old centre of learning and an important emirate before the British arrived, it still is a great city to explore. Zaria and Sokoto - with a real Sultan - are two other of these old Hausa cities you can visit.

Places of Interest:

Abuja
Abuja is the new Federal Capital of Nigeria. The idea was conceived in 1975 and the seat of government formally moved to Abuja from Lagos in 1992. It was intended to be developed in four phases. The first phase had so far been completed. In a few years the city will have a few million inhabitants, but right now there are only a few hunderd thousand. This means that the city is pretty spread out and there are a lot of half empty spaces. There aren't a whole lot of sights in Abuja (yet), the main Mosque is pretty enough, but non muslims are not allowed in and the guards are not alwyas very welcoming. Close to Abuja you find Zuma Rock, which looks like a pale version of Ayers Rock. The local population used to attribute magical power to the rock. You can see it on the way from Abuja to Kaduna - the same road brings you to Zaria and Kano. Abuja has an ultra modern Airport - Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport named after the first president of Nigeria. The first phase of the international wing had been commissioned and is now operational while the smaller domestic terminals have been in operation since the early 80s. Abuja is located at the centre of Nigeria and is bounded by Kogi, Niger, Kaduna and Nassarawa States. Its indeed a beautiful place to be. Abuja is known as the center for unity as a result of its rich culture based on the lifestyles and people from different tribes.

Culture

Nigerian culture reflects African, Islamic, and European influences. In northern Nigeria, Islam has shaped architecture and calligraphy. As Islam traditionally forbids the representation of people and animals, art forms such as ceremonial carvings are virtually absent in the north. In the south, indigenous peoples produced their own art long before Europeans arrived. Portuguese figures first appeared in Benin bronzes dating to the 16th century. Since the dawn of the colonial era, Western influences have challenged, threatened, and in certain ways enriched Nigerian culture. Nigeria’s rich and diverse artistic heritage goes back more than 2,000 years. The earliest noteworthy pieces are finely produced terra-cotta sculptures produced by the Nok culture in the vicinity of the Jos Plateau between 500 bc and ad 200. These, together with bronze heads from Ife dating from the 13th century and bronze plaques, bronze statues, and ivory carvings from Benin from the 11th century and later, are generally considered Nigeria’s most important artistic legacy. Many such pieces, however, reside in Western museums, where they were taken during the time of colonial conquest. The Nigerian government has demanded the return of looted art, particularly from Benin, with little success.

Nigeria's rich and varied cultural heritage derives from the mixture of its different ethnic groups with Arabic and western European cultural influences. Secret societies, such as Ekpo and Ekpe among the peoples of the southeast, were formerly used as instruments of government, while other institutions were associated with matrimony. According to the Fulani custom of sharo (test of young manhood), rival suitors underwent the ordeal of caning as a means of eliminating those who were less persistent, while in Ibibio territory girls approaching marriageable age were confined for several years in bride-fattening rooms before they were given to their husbands. These and other customs were discouraged by colonial administrators and missionaries. Some of the more adaptable cultural institutions have been revived since independence; these include Ekpo and Ekong societies for young boys in parts of the southeast and the Ogboni society found in the Yoruba and Edo areas of southern Nigeria.

Music and dance are integral to Nigerian culture, and each ethnic group has its own specialties. Traditional instruments include various types of flutes, trumpets, musical bows, xylophones, and wooden clappers, as well as many varieties of drums. Music is used to celebrate rulers and to accompany public assemblies, weddings and funerals, festivals, and storytelling. At one time the Edo of the Kingdom of Benin distinguished between urban music that was performed at the palace and less complex music that was played in rural areas. Dance also has many varieties: Ishan stilt dancers in colourful costumes twist themselves in the air; while one Tiv dance, called ajo, features male dancers who work in pairs, and another involves teams of women who perform a dance called icough by composing songs about current events. Dance for the Ubakala shows their value system, helps resolve conflicts, and also institutes changes. Ekiti Yoruba dancers wear head masks so heavy that they can only do processional dances. The Hausa, who do not consider dancing to be a craft, divide their dances into the categories of social dancing and ceremonial boorii dances.

Be Careful
As in any other place in the world, You have to take extra precaution. Be careful and mindful of thieves. Do not take too much money out if you know you dont need that much. You can save some money by eating at local restaurants instead of the high priced "tourist attraction" one, You might even enjoy the local ones more.