Nigeria is known for a lot of things, but not its tourism. You can read a more detailed introduction to the country here.
When I told my friends, or anyone for that matter, that I was going to Nigeria for the New Year's they were all like: Why Nigeria? I didn't know much about the country besides the fact that they would give me a visa on arrival. Honestly there is nothing that I hate as much as going to embassies with dozens of documents to justify why one should let me into their country. That's why I decided that at least for now, I'll mostly visit countries that give me visa on arrival.
I'm writing this after spending a month in this West African country. Here's a few reasons why you should visit Nigeria:
- The People
For me, nothing is as important as vibes from people when I travel. I know there are countries that are very "beautiful" but the people there do not treat others with dignity and respect. Maybe it's our African culture, but I always had the best time traveling in African countries because of the warmth from her people. Most of the time, we are the poorest under most scales. However, there is nothing that matches the feeling of knowing that someone gave you love because that's all they could afford. Having a human connection with someone who does not know where their children's school fees will come from cannot be explained or understood; I'm incapable of doing that. Visit Nigeria for the people. Are there bad people? Yes. That holds for any society. For Nigeria though, the good ones are way more than the bad ones. I know, I know! You've heard stuff on CNN and all. Visit Nigeria for the people.
- The Culture
We all have our cultures. Most of them are more interesting than others. Most Nigerians still hold on to their respective cultures. You've probably heard about the Yoruba and the Igbo, but there are many other communities and tribes. I love those from Edo State though I barely made it there. They use some colorful beads on themselves especially during ceremonies. BTW my biggest regret is not making it to a Nigerian wedding. Time flew too fast I didn't even think about it. That's just an example of the cultures you should enjoy while in Nigeria. Once in a while, in the streets or wherever you are, guys in Ankara or other traditional clothes will start playing music. It's courteous to give them a tip if you enjoy it. So much energy in that country yo!
- The Food
I should have written this one first. I am a foodie; food makes me happy. I'm not even kidding. I get stressed and grumpy when I'm hungry. So none of that happened in Nigeria cuz food is everywhere. There is also so much variety that you would last there a month and not eat the same food twice. They put lots of soul to preparing the food, and this is evidenced by the taste. I could live in Nigeria for the food only. Oh, and I love one of their herbal drinks called Orijin. Someone get me an endless supply of Orijin to my country, please 😛
- The Nature
Nigeria has so many lovely places that even the locals don't know about. One day I went to a very remote place trying to find the suspended lake. You have to hike up some hill to get to it. I told the guys in the town center to show me where the starting point was. They were like: why do you want to go up the mountain? Most of them didn't know where the starting point was, nor did they get why I was so keen on getting there. BTW there are two suspended lakes in the world: one is this one in Nigeria and the other one is in Colorado. They also have numerous waterfalls. I went to 2 of them, and each one of them came in 7 layers! Never seen that. You rarely see that. Visit Nigeria for the nature.
- The History
If you love history you will love Nigeria. You get to live the past in one of the most incredible ways over. Unlike most other places, they have found a way to keep their history alive. Lots of people are very knowledgeable and are always willing to share that with you. I learned a lot about slavery. I put the chains on my neck and it broke me to the core. I always saw movies on slavery but it is different when you are there and experience part of what they went through. Those chains are not ordinary: they are very heavy and uncomfortable. It is very easy to break one's neck from that only. In Badagry, I went to the point of no return and used the route that these slaves used. I will never forget. One day I will talk about it. Visit Nigeria for the history.
There is lots of other things that we could talk about, but I hope the reasons I gave above convince you to visit Nigeria. Travel is one tool that solves almost any problem. Maybe when people flood the country it's going to be a wake up call to the various stakeholders on the need to improve basic infrastructure in the country. It is sad that they have to deal with constant power outages, for instance. Maybe, just maybe, travel will change that. I know I want it to change because more than anything else, I AM AFRICAN.
Light & Love!