Motherland Nigeria: Tourist Attractions

Here are some (NOT ALL) tourist attractions in Nigeria (grouped by state). Please note that most of the information I could find was based on a 30 state nation. So, for the latest 6 states, I tell you what state they used to be part of, and some of the attractions listed in that new state may be in the list. If you have more specific information for me, then let me know. Also, some of the information I had from different sources also had different spellings, so if you find a spelling mistake, let me know.

Click here for Abuja.

  1. ABIA
  2. ADAMAWA
  3. AKWA IBOM
  4. ANAMBRA
  5. BAUCHI
  6. BAYELSA
  7. BENUE
  8. BORNO
  9. CROSS RIVER
  10. DELTA
  11. EBONYI
  12. EDO
  1. EKITI
  2. ENUGU
  3. GOMBE
  4. IMO
  5. JIGAWA
  6. KADUNA
  7. KANO
  8. KATSINA
  9. KEBBI
  10. KOGI
  11. KWARA
  12. LAGOS
  1. NASSARAWA
  2. NIGER
  3. OGUN
  4. ONDO
  5. OSUN
  6. OYO
  7. PLATEAU
  8. RIVERS
  9. SOKOTO
  10. TARABA
  11. YOBE
  12. ZAMFARA

OTHER LINKS
Clicking on the camera image will show a picture.
Pictures of masquerades and festivals can be seen here on the pictures page.
Clicking on the up arrow will take you back to the list

STATE ATTRACTIONS
ABUJA
  • Nicon-Noga Hilton Hotel
  • Zuma Rock
 ABIA
  • National War Museum: displays relics of the Nigerian civil war and inventions.
  • Aba: foremost electronics and indigenous technology
  • Akwette: Blue River Tourist Village
  • Uwana Beach Akwette: Famous for it’s unique weaving industry.
  • Aba Central Market
  • Arochukwu Shrine (The long Juju)
ADAMAWA
  • Three Sisters Hill: Three hills that stand side by side
 AKWA IBOM
  • Ibeno: famous for yatching and swimming
  • Oron Museum: collection of fine African carvings
  • Opobo Boatyard: Natural sand beaches at Ikot Abasi
 ANAMBRA Anambra state is historically known for great craftmanship.

  • Ijele masquerade from Aguleri
  • Omaba festival
  • Yearly yam festival
  • Odinani Museum at Nri
  • The River Niger with the famous Niger bridge links the bustling commercial town of Onitsha with ports at Port Harcourt, Burutu and Warri in Delta State.
  • Ofala festival.
  • Rogeny Tourist Village at Oba (a stadium that is equipped with recreational activities including a swimming pool, zoo, shrine, soccer stadium, etc.)
 BAUCHI
  • Wikki Lame Burra game reserve (with warm springs)
  • Tomb of first prime minister (Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa)
  • Yankari game reserve, which has a huge range of African animals to see.
 BAYELSA Part of “old-RIVERS state”
 BENUE
  • Scenic view of the confluence of the rivers Niger and Benue
  • Ushango Hills
  • Enemebia Falls
  • Kwaghir theatrical display
  • Ingongh Dance
  • Pleasant beaches
  • Numerous fishing festivals (pictures of fishing festivals can be seen on the attractions part of the pictures page)
 BORNO
  • Kyarimi Park: sightseeing for animal and bird lovers
  • Shehu of Borno’s Palace
  • Lake Chad
  • Sambisa Game Reserve
  • Fishing festival at Gahsua
  • Ngeji Warm Springs
  • Leather tanning and ornamental leather work.
 CROSS RIVER
  • Obudu Cattle Ranch
  • Agbokin Falls
  • Kwa Falls
  • Game Reserve at Okwangwo in Obudu local government
  • Boshi Game Reserve
  • Mary Slessor Cottage
  • National Museum
 DELTA
  • Sandy beaches of Asaba Koko Port Ajagbododu
  • Olu’s Palace
  • ATP Timber and Plywood Factory
  • Itsekiri Juju Festival
  • Okere Juju Festival
  • Agbasa Juju Festival
 EBONYI Part of “old-ENUGU state”
 EDO The capital of Edo is Benin city, which is famous for its unique bronze, brass and ivory works of art and you can see some of them on the artwork part of the pictures page. This is in addition to the following attractions:

  • Royal Palace of Benin
  • Benin Museum
  • Benin Moat
  • Emotan Statue
  • Somorika Hills
  • Udo Tourist Center
  • Ogba zoo
 EKITI Part of “old-ONDO state”
 ENUGU
  • Miliken Hill
  • Nike Lake
  • Iva Valley Coal Mines
 GOMBE Part of “old-BAUCHI state”
 IMO
  • Oguta Lake Holiday resort with its sand beaches
  • Rolling hills of Okigwe
  • Owerri Amusement Park
  • Nekede Botanical and Zoological Gardens
  • Palm Beach Tourist Village at Awomama
  • Afikpo: famous for it’s pottery and mask making
  • Akwete Textile Center in Akwete
 JIGAWA
  • Birnin Kudu Rock Paintings: one of the oldest rock paintings in Nigeria.
 KADUNA
  • Nok culture site at Kwo in Jema local government area
  • Kufena Hill in Zaria Legendary Lord Lugard Bridge in Kaduna town Durbar Hotel and Hamdala Hotel in Kaduna
  • Mait Sirga Falls in Kafanchan
  • Palace of the Emir of Zaria
 KANO Kano is popular for its traditional arts and cracts, including leather work, weaving, pottery and wood carving.

  • Emir’s palace
  • Baturiya Birds Estuary
  • Ayanduwa fishing festival
  • Ancient city walls and gates, first build about 900 years ago
  • Gidan Makaman Museum
  • Kofar Mata Dyeing pits (believed to be the oldest in Africa)
  • Kano Zoological Garden at Gankum Albaba
  • Kurmi Market
  • Kazaure Rock Ranges
  • Famous Tiga Dam (and Bagauda Lake Hotel)
  • Folgore Games Reserve
 KATSINA
  • Wall surrounding Katsina, 900 years old with seven different gates
  • Emir’s palace
  • Kusugu well in Daura
 KEBBI Kebbi is famous for traditional arts and crafts, beads, swords, and glassware.

  • Argungu Fishing and Cultural Festival: a major week-long international event including
    • art and craft exhibits
    • cultural dances and music
    • agricultural fair
    • local drama
    • traditional boxing and wrestling
    • archery competition
    • racing events: bicycle races, donkey races, boat races
    • motor rally
    • Kabanci display: series of water events during the festival, including canoe races, swimming, long deep diving competitions, bare hand fishing, wild-duck hunting.
    • Grand finale fishing show
  • Kanta Museum in Argungu
 KOGI Kogi is famous for “okene” cloth, woven with rich thread into exquisite styles of varying colors.

  • Old buildings used by the royal Niger company when it had a royal charter over Nigeria
  • Iron of Liberty: In the compound of the first primary school in Northern Nigeria
  • Confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue at Lokoja
  • Borgu Game Reserve
  • Ekuechi festival of the Ebirras
 KWARA
  • Esie Museum of stone figures.
  • Kainji dam
  • Jebba dam
  • Mungo Park Monument
  • OWU water falls (in village called Owa- Kajola in Ifelodun)
 LAGOS Lagos hosts over half of the total industrial investment in Nigeria and the commercial activities.

  • Seaside attraction and resorts at Bar Beach, Victoria Island
  • Badagry: the first missionary post and houses the first two-storey building in the country
  • Lekki Conservation Centre
  • National Museum: which houses important relics such as the traditional Benin Bronzes and the replica of the Festac ’77 symbol.
  • Didi Museum
  • Tarkwa Bay Beach
  • National Theater, Iganmu, Lagos
  • Jankara Market on Lagos Island
  • Eyo Masquerade: held to celebrate memorable occasions or the death of an important person.
  • Murtala Muhammed Memorial Botanical Garden
NASSARAWA Part of “old-PLATEAU state”
 NIGER
  • Gurara falls in Boru Village: dramatic rock gorges with a scenic, sloping landscape with high rising sprays of water running down on them from different directions.
  • Zugurma park
  • Shiroro Hydroelectric dam
  • Mungo Park’s Cenotaph
  • Bida town: noted for its handicrafts made from beer bottles and coloured glass jars
  • Kainji Lake and National Games Park, with a wide variety of animals to see.
 OGUN
  • Oba’s Palace at Ake:
    • built in 1854 as the official residence of the Alake, the traditional ruler of Egbaland
    • famous for its heavy concentration of antiquities and relics
  • Centenary hall at Abeokuta
  • Birikisu Sungbo Shrine in Ijebu-Ode
  • Olumo Rock
  • Isara-Remo: a natural holiday resort.
  • Agemo festival
  • Obinrin Ojowu festival
  • Egungun festival
  • Oro festival
  • Igunnuko Masquerades
 ONDO
  • National Museum at Owo: has many wood and ivory carvings, brass and bronze works, etc.
  • Ikogosi warm springs: a natural formation of warm and cold waters, rolling down over a hilly landscape and at the end forms a continuous stream.
  • Idanre Hills
  • Igbokodo water front
  • Ipole-Iloro Water falls
  • Oke Marie Hills at Oka-Akoko
  • Ebomi Lake at Epinmi-Akoko
  • Aiyetoro Holy Apostle Community
  • Olumirin Waterfalls
 OSUN One of the cities here, Ile-Ife, is believed to be the origin of the Yoruba people.

  • Osun Shrine at Oshogbo (which also houses some decorated calabashes)
  • Opa Oranmiyan at Ile-Ife
  • Palaces of Owa Obokun in Ilesha
  • Ife city walls at Ile-Ife
  • Ooni of Ife’s place at Ile-Ife
  • Osun festival: a week-or-more-long festival mainly in honor of the ancient gods.
  • Ife museum: has many bronze and terracotta sculptures dating back to the 13th century.
  • Erin-Ijesa water falls
 OYO
  • Ibadan University Zoo
  • Agodi Zoological garden
  • Upper Ogun Games Reserve
  • Mbari Arts Center
  • Egungun festival
  • Ode-Ibadan festival
  • International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
 PLATEAU
  • National museum of Jos: The oldest in the country
  • Museum of Tradition Nigerian Architecture: contains various architectural designs of major Nigerian ethnic groups.
  • Jos Wildlife Safari Park
  • Zoological gardens
  • Assop falls
  • Kura falls
  • Wase Rock
  • Kerang Volcanic Mountain: where the Swan brand spring water is produced.
  • Shere hills
  • Riyom Rock
 RIVERS
  • Isaac Boro Park: a zoo with a wide variety of animals
  • Nigeria’s first petroleum refinery at Elesa Elema
  • Water Glass Boatyard
  • Isaka Holiday Cruise Island
  • Oil well at Oloibiri
  • Riverine town of Bonny with the beautiful Finima Beach
  • Monument of King Jaja of Opobo
  • Relics of Akassa raid of 1859
  • Slave transit hall at Akassa
  • Ogidi Shrine at Nembe
  • Onne port
  • Masquerade display at Abonema
 SOKOTO The state is also famous for it’s dyeing of clothes (mostly Fulani attires). Also, famous Moroccan leather products of trans-Saharan trade era has it’s roots in Sokoto.

  • Museum
  • Emir’s palace
  • Gibadi rocks: has ancient fossils
  • tomb of Usman Dan Fodio
 TARABA
  • Mambilla Plateau Gashaka
  • Gashaka-Gumpti National Parks
  • Karimbela Game Reserves
 YOBE
  • Bir Plateau
 ZAMFARA Part of “old-SOKOTO state”

 

OTHER LINKS

  • Nigerian Tourism Guide: Excellent description of popular tourist attractions. (In the meantime, this is best viewed in Internet Explorer.)
  • NigerianEmbassy: Tourism
  • Tourist Attractions from OnlineNigeria.com

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