Tourism is a common part of most people’s bucket lists but when it comes to choosing the best places to visit, the task then becomes challenging. The world is said to be a book and only those who travel and tour get to read the whole book.
Nigeria is the crowned Giant of Africa and that’s not only because of the most competed Jollof rice, large population, and the coexistence of over 525 languages with over 250 ethnic groups but also because of its naturally endowed state. Nigeria is situated in Western Africa and it has a variety of wildlife, magnificent waterfalls and beaches, and colonial and pre-colonial landmarks. It is home to one of the largest river systems in the world, including the Niger Delta, the third largest delta on Earth.
If there are any reasons why you should choose Nigeria to tour, it will be because it’s filled with cheerful people that love celebration, the culture-rich historical sites, different foods from different cultures, and the affordability of most of the tourism centers.
A lot of attraction sites are well known and seem to not meet the standard expectations of tourists, creating a travel and tour bucket list that would keep you marveled is an exciting and rewarding experience. For this cause, we bring you 10 tourism centers with exciting attraction sites in Nigeria that you need to visit before you kick the bucket.
1. Agbokim Waterfall
Agbokim Waterfall is a tourist site located in Cross-River State, at Enugu Local Government Area, it has a unique series of seven cascades having a total length of 6817.73m. Agbokim Waterfall is surrounded by green vegetation that houses thousands of birds, it has also been described as the speckle of beauty in fading nature over the years. Agbokim Waterfall’s magnificence is well appreciated during the rainy season. It is a suitable location for picnics, family vacations, and meditation.
2. Kajuru Castle
The Kajuru Castle is a Medieval-German model Villa, said to have been built over 3decades ago located in the heart of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The villa design has its bedrooms modeled after dungeons and towers having crenelated walls. The Kajuru Castle has a guest tower with 4 rooms and the major building with knights hall and master suites (Called Landlord’s residence), the tower has an outdoor swimming pool and a barbeque spot right beside it. The castle has its sauna and the windows allow you to enjoy a fascinating view of the surrounding mountains and inselbergs. This is a great site to behold.
3. Osun Sacred Grove
The Osun Sacred Grove is located on the outskirts of Osogbo, the state capital of Osun State, Nigeria along the Osun river. The Groove has been classified as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, in the Southwestern part of Nigeria. The Yoruba tribe believes that the Osun Sacred Groove spans about 75 hectares of land and is home to the Osun goddess of fertility. A festival to celebrate this goddess is held yearly in the state capital Osogbo. Around the forest are scattered shrines and effigies of different deities and about 400 species of plants that are used for medical purposes.
4. New Africa Shrine
The New Africa Shrine takes any tourist’s nightlife escapades to a whole different level. The Fela Shrine is the site also known as The New Africa Shrine. The Shrine is an open entertainment center situated in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, it is a replacement for the Africa Shrine created in 1970 by Fela Kuti which was burnt down in 1977 but reconstructed hence its name “New Africa Shrine”. New Africa Shrine serves as the host location of the yearly Felabration music festival in remembrance of the Icon. The Shrine is currently managed by Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti and Femi Kuti. The Shrine has photo galleries of Fela and musical performances by Femi and Seun Kuti, from the genre of music to inspirational storytelling lyrics, not to forget the sacrosanct palm wine available to reawaken the African Spirit in a Man. A must-visit tourist site indeed.
5. Oniru Beach
Oniru beach resort is we’ll patronized tourist site by locals and even foreigners, it is located at the very end of Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State, Nigeria. The Oniru beach resort has beautiful scenery and landscape, great horse rides, African craft, Squad bikes, and local drummers.
6. Dream World Africana
Dream World Africana is situated in Lekki the island part of Lagos State, Nigeria. It was established in 2018 and ever since has been a great site for locals and foreigners who want a time out to have fun, relax and enjoy the beauty of maturity. There are quite a lot of games to be played at this resort, some of which include Family Coaster, Bouncing castles, Go Kart, Carousel, Bumper Cars, and the Red Baron to mention a few. This is a lovely place for a family timeout as the children are sure to have the time of their lives.
7. Tinapa Resort
Tinapa Resort is situated in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria. This project was established by the Cross River government under the guise of Former Governor Donald Duke to boost the economy and tourism value of the state. This has been achieved as the site is now referred to by many as Small London as a result of its beautiful landscape and it has become home for Nollywood movie scenes. Tinapa Resort is widely for leisure and business, it allows tourists to enjoy its beautiful scenery with the availability of a casino, cinema, movie production studio, children’s arcade, and pubs. Looking for a place to tour? Try Tinapa Resort.
8. Nike Art Gallery
Nike Art Gallery located in Lagos State, Nigeria is a tall magnificent story built, painted in spotless white, standing so tall and being the beauty of its environs, that tells its beautiful story from outside the building. The walls of the gallery are adorned with different artistic drawings and inscriptions and the fence is covered with special marbles. The inner courtyard of the building is where the stone sculptures, a tie-dye workshop, and hanging craftworks are found, when moving inside the beautiful structure with a variety of artworks displayed, there’s no doubt that your love and desire for beauty would be fulfilled.
9. Lake Chad
Lake Chad is situated in Borno and happens to be the largest lake in Nigeria. The lake had proven to be of great importance as it serves the agricultural needs of Borno state and even neighboring countries like Cameroon and Chad. The tourist site offers attractions in boating, fishing villages, and birdwatching, it has aquatic animals peculiar to it, some of which include the hippopotamus, clawless otter, and crocodile to mention a few.
10. Badagry.
Badagry is a notable and prominent town located on the outskirts of Lagos State, Nigeria. The town is most remembered for the slave trade in the early years past as it is one of the first places of contact between the Europeans and Nigerians. The town still has relics of the slave trade, like the guns, locks, and chains used on the slaves then preserved by the Mobe Family who make them available for tourists to view and handle. This town also houses the first-story building built in 1845 in Nigeria and is said to be home of Christianity in Nigeria as it is the spot where Christianity was first preached.
Nigeria offers a wider range of tourist attractions than this but starting with this 10 will give you the thrill of your travel. Have you ever been to any of these? Be sure to share your experience in the comment section.
