Nigeria Tourism - An Adventure and a Challenge!
Nigeria Tourism offers a world of excitement and adventure even though Nigeria is not a popular tourist destination. I must tell you however that Nigerian tourism is quite different from tourism in the traditional sense. The main tourist attraction in Nigeria is simply the People! What you will take home with you besides the national parks, the beaches, museums, and even some wild life is your encounter with some of these 140 million people living in one of the most challenging places in the face of the earth where over 250 different languages are spoken. Undoubtedly as a nation we are blessed with many cultural, ecological and historic features that are attractive for tourism. However these tourist potentials are still largely underdeveloped. We have a popular saying in Nigeria that says “charity begins at home”. Nigeria tourism industry has not grown partly because there is no domestic tourism market. For most Nigerians, vacation for us is to go to the village for Christmas and other holidays. Popular Tourist Destinations in Nigeria 
Obviously Nigeria’s negative images have not allowed people to see her attractiveness as a tourist destination. For the adventurer however Nigeria has some charming tourist attractions which include:
Obudu Cattle Ranch:
The Land of the cloud as it is often referred to is an enchanting vacation spot in the magnificent Obudu plateau of Cross River State of Nigeria close to the Cameron border. This resort is a step ahead many other Nigerian vacation spot because of the recent restorations made to it by its new owners, the Protea Hotel. The newly commissioned ultra modern Tinapia Business and Leisure resort can be easily accessed from this ranch.
Click here to for more information about the Obudu Cattle Ranch Bar Beach: This is the most popular of the other Nigerian beaches, though not necessarily the cleanest or the safest. It is located in Victoria Island of Lagos State. There is more activity around the beach in the night than during the day. This is not a beach where you can lay nude and bask in the sun, but you can cautiously enjoy its vibrant nightlife. National Theater: This is a landmark from the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) which Nigeria hosted in 1977. The gallery houses a huge selection of oil paintings and sculptures of Nigeria’s past and contemporary heroes. You can run into some Nigerian Movie Stars on any Sunday afternoon when parts of the theater are turned into movie theaters. National Museum: This is one of the major attractions of Lagos Island. It is located within a walking distance from Tafawa Balewa Square. It is home to some of the finest exhibits of Nigeria’s ancient civilization. Notable amongst its collections are bronze sculptures and ivory carvings produced by the Kingdom of Benin. Another interesting exhibit is the bullet-ridden black Mercedes-Benz car in which the former Head of State Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in 1973. Argungu Fishing and Cultural Festival: This very popular four day festival started in 1934. The highlight of this festival is on the last day when thousands of fishermen compete to catch the biggest fish within an hour. Only local traditional fishing tools are allowed. Other attractions include horse and donkey race, canoe race, local boxing and wrestling and more recently car race. Jos Wildlife Safari Park: This is the pearl of “The Home of Peace and Tourism” as Plateau State is called. If you love African Safari, then make sure to visit the Jos Wildlife Safari Park when you are in Nigeria. While not among Africa’s top Safari destinations the Jos Wildlife Safari park has a sizable selection of animals with easy viewing. These include Elephants, lions, baboons, monkeys, pythons, crocodiles, tortoise etc.
Best ways to Enjoy Nigeria Tourism Here are ways you can enjoy Nigeria Tourism: • Go with a Nigerian, especially if you have not been to Nigeria or any other African country before. The infrastructures that support a viable tourism industry are either lacking or inadequate in Nigeria therefore a Nigerian (born and raised) will be a valuable resource to you. • If you are going on a business assignment to Nigeria, you can plan to take some time to explore one of the many tourist attractions. • If you are going on a Missionary or NGO assignment, also plan to take some time to explore some of the tourist attractions that interests you. • Contact someone in the expatriate community in Nigeria. • Contact a tour operator or tour guide. • Be an Adventurer – Go check out this exotic place by yourself! Before you buy your ticket however make sure you read and research and ask questions. I will try my best to answer your questions or I can point you to another resource. Official Efforts to Develop Nigeria Tourism Industry • 1962 – Nigerian Tourist Association was formed by a group or private practitioners to promote Nigeria’s tourism potentials. • 1964 – Nigeria was admitted to the World Tourism Organization mainly due to the efforts of the Nigerian Tourist Association. • 1973 – Decree 3 established the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) as custodian of cultural materials for Black and African peoples all over the world. • 1976 – Decree 54 established the Nigeria Tourism Board • 1992 – Decree 81 established the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) The NTDC has a mandate to promote, market and coordinate Nigeria tourism.They are headquartered in Abuja with zonal offices at Bauchi, Calabar, Kano, Lagos, Enugu, Asaba, Yola, Sokoto, Lokoja, and Jos. Do not expect much from this agency. You are not going to get much from them in the form of tourist information. Lizzie Williams in her book,
Nigeria – The Bradt Travel Guide
referred to them as “wholly ineffective”.
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