After travelling across Nigeria, Special Correspondent Renn Offor lists Argungu Fishing Festival, Olumo Rock, Calabar Festival, Obudu Mountain Resort among plenty of tourism sites worth visiting at little cost.
The journey was both tortuous and interesting.
Yet as Thomas Stearns Eliot said in his poem The Journey of the Magi, “All this was a long time ago, I remember, and I would do it again, but set down.”
It was a memorable year for me, as it was the year I had the first opportunity to travel the length and breadth of Nigeria, which I did from August that year to September the following year.
Across the landscape
In one of my travels I explored several states and cities, starting from Bida (Niger) through Kano (Kano); Jos (Plateau); Bauchi (Bauchi); Abuja; Makurdi (Benue); and then down to Awka, Orumba, Onitsah (Anambra); Owerri, Oguta, Mbaise (Imo); Umuahia, Aba (Abia); Calabar (Cross River); before going to Port Harcourt (Rivers) for a conference.
From there I moved on to Asaba, Abraka, Ughelli, Warri (Delta) before winding up in Lagos.
From Lagos, I went back to Bida. That firsthand experience of Nigeria in one month gelled with my assertion that, by every standard, Nigeria is an international destination of choice.
For everyone willing to explore
With the approach of the yuletide, another opportunity presents itself to everyone willing to explore this country.
December is synonymous with holidays, doing shopping for self and family; a time to attend festivals, and carnivals.
To some, it is a time to step away from daily rat race routines of trying to make ends meet and to embark on a well deserved relaxation.
Others see the yuletide season as a time for spiritual sojourn for prayers or separation to exotic hide aways, so they cannot make a personal assessment and inventory of how they fare in all areas of their life during the passing year.
For all these, however, travelling within or outside the country during this period of the year becomes imperative.
So, the question is: How far can you travel, and what environment is best for your focus on activities?
Many would want to visit exotic places, enjoy comforts and services in classy restaurants, shop on Madison Street, Dubai or in a European country, with London on top of that list.
As fascinating as all those places are, have you ever imagined the many alternatives Nigeria offers?
Nigeria is known as the giant of Africa, first for its large population; and now it is adjudged as the fastest growing economy on the continent.
But one area not known to many is that Nigeria also passes for an international destination of choice, with lavish options to satiate the cravings of tourists, both for leisure and for business.
50,000 tourists per month
World Bank data on international tourist arrivals show that Nigeria attracts about 50,000 tourists per month, drawn to its diverse estimated 150 million population.
The country’s tourism potential covers almost every terrain.
Eastern uplands
Carnival Calabar, which holds in December every year, is the biggest street party in Africa.
The Savannah in North, the Middle Belt, and the rain forest down South, all have wild life rich in unique species of plants and animals.
Scenic waterfalls and rock formations of enormous heights like Idanre Hills in Ondo State and Olumo Rock in Ogun are places a tourist must not miss.
If you like exploring rain forests like the Amazon enmeshed among winding uplands, you must not fail to see the Eastern uplands that stretch from the Adamawa region, close to the Nigerian-Cameroonian border, as they trail South through the Cross River axis.
In this region is located the famous Obudu Mountain Resort. A place every living Nigerian should visit.
With a move towards the delta which comprises many tributaries ending up in the Atlantic Ocean; breath taking uplands with panoramic landscapes, so many inland waterways; this beautiful country is worth exploring.
Coastlands, inland water ways
The vast coastlands and abundant inland waterways have a lot of potential for recreational centres and hotels that can serve tourists and also be a great source of employment for the jobless and of revenue for the government.
Across the country are also beautiful waterfalls and many rivers good for swimming, water sport, fishing, and festivals like the Argungu Fishing Festival in Bauchi State as well as several water regattas in some cities in the South.
Pristine forests house a variety of health-beneficial shrubs and a lot of games.
The forests also host several endangered species of plants and animals which the Nigerian government, in partnership with private conservation parks and game reserves, is working hard to preserve.
There are several growing cities like Lagos, Abuja, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Uyo, Kano, Kaduna, Warri; and the largest city in West Africa, Ibadan.
