Do you know the major tourist attractions in Nigeria? It is no secret that tourism can be considered a major source of income and revenue all around the world today. In every part of the world, there are beautiful, amazing tourist sites that people tend to visit regularly. Nigeria is said to be the Giant of Africa not only because of its natural resources but also for its tourist sites.
These attract people from all over the world to come to the country for vacation just to visit such places. Places like the Olumo rock in Abeokuta, Yankari games reserve in Bauchi, Tinapa resort and Obudu cattle ranch in Cross River, and many more. Such places don’t only act as a means of revenue for the nation but it tells a great story of the history of the people and the different cultures of the nation.
There are lots of tourist destinations but we are only going to talk about ten (10) tourist sites in this article. A visit to these sites would bring a lasting memory.
Top 10 Tourist Attractions In Nigeria
- Yankari National Park ( Yankari Game Reserves)
- Tinapa Resort
- Obudu Cattle Ranch
- Ikogosi Warm Spring
- Badagry
- The Idanre Hills
- The Mambilla Plateau
- Olumo rock
- River Niger and River Benue
- Lake Chad
#1 Bauchi State’s Yankari national park
This Game Reserve can be found deep in the country’s northern region, it was not until the year 1991 that the reserve was officially transformed into a national park. It was called a game reserve because of the different animals and plants in their natural habitat before it was changed to Yankari National Park. This place is also known to have over 59 caves, a nice warm spring, Iron smelting works which have been for centuries. It has over 130 wells that are connected and were used during the era of the slave trade.
#2 Tinapa Resort
The Tinapa resort is located in Calabar the capital of Cross River found in the South South side of Nigeria and this was established by the government of rivers state to boost their tourism and the value it brought to the state. It has been given a nickname by Nigerians as the small London as it has beautiful landscapes and has been a location for many Nollywood movies. This project was done by the then administration of their former governor Donald Duke and over 300million dollars was invested in it
#3 Obudu Cattle Ranch
This is a very popular tourist attraction in Nigeria, it has been a place of excursion for many Nigerian schools. This is also found in cross river. Its natural scenery and semi temperate mountain climate makes it a perfect place for holidays for tourist both local and foreign and also a great place for adventures. It has a sporting environment and traditional African housing (round huts)
#4 Ikogosi Warm Spring
This is located at Igede town, Igede Ekiti of Ekiti state Nigeria. This spring has a natural flow of warm and cold water streaming side by side to meet at a juncture. It is also beautified with topography of rich green scenery
#5 Badagry, Lagos.
Here, relics and artifacts of slave trade like guns and chains and locks used on the slaves are being showcased. They are duly protected by the Mobe family in that area and are made promptly available for tourists. Badagry is also home to the first story building ever built in Nigeria. This town was used as a meeting point between Nigeria and the Europeans and its notable for its activities during the slave trade era. Christainity was first preached in Nigeria at Badagry
#6 The Idanre Hills
Found in Ondo state; in the southwestern part of the country, The Idanre Hills are not only a tourist site in Nigeria but also a UNESCO world heritage site due to it ancient palace and hills that are still intact on top the hills. To get to the highest point of the hill, there are about 640 steps to climb with 5 resting spots. The top of the hill provides clear view of the Arun River which gives a strange and different feeling to whoever swims in it according to myths. The Idanre Hills have slopes that are amazingly arranged with ancient palaces and shrines.
#7 The Mambila Plateau
From the name, we might be thinking it is found in Plateau but instead this is located in Taraba the Northern part of the country and it is 1830 meters above sea level. It is greatly blessed and enriched with green pastures. This allows for the growth of plants and fruits alike, plants like strawberries, apples, pears, Irish potatoes etc and this is due to it climate temperature
#8 Olumo Rock
This is another wonderful and popular site located in the South West side of Nigeria. Found in the richly blessed land of Abeokuta, Ogun state. It was used as a place of refuge for the early people of Abeokuta against their enemies. In the past years, renovations were made to this attraction site, this renovation saw the likes of hostels and museums, restaurants and fountains put in to make the visit to the place more interesting.
#9 Rivers Niger and Benue
These two rivers are said to be one of the largest bodies of water in all of Africa. They actually run through other countries, extending to more than just Africa. The rivers intercept at a confluence located in Kogi State, in Lokoja.
#10 Lake Chad
This is the biggest natural lake that can be found in Nigeria. It offers various tourist activities like fishing, boating, birdwatching. It also has loads of aquatic beings like crocodiles and hippopotamuses. It has a lot of economic benefit to Nigeria as well as other neighboring countries like Niger Chad and Cameroun
The above are but a few of the tourist attractions in Nigeria. Each state in Nigeria has its own tourist sites where some states have more than the other. Nigeria is a country that is more than blessed with just oil. Its Natural landscapes and History has birthed a utopia for tourists’ attractions, and this holds true till this very day. It is quite a pity that we as a nation, have to suffer thanks to some bad eggs in power. With the tourist attractions alone, we could achieve a lot of improvement in our economic sector, if these resources are being properly utilized.
