Places Nigeria -

Tourism in Nigeria is quite diverse due to our rich culture, oil, scenery, nature, lifestyle, religion and most recently interest in IT and telecommunications. However, research shows that culture is the strongest segment in the Nigerian tourism industry as it is known to be a multi-cultural country with over 500 ethnic groups. It also reveals that Nigerians are really involved in outbound tourism and tend to visit oversea countries like United Kingdom, United States of America, South Africa, Dubai and recently Ghana for reasons such as proximity, friends and relative, leisure, social status, education and business. Inbound Tourism in Nigeria could be traced back to the early and mid 1900s during the time of missionaries followed by the discovery of oil leading to the arrival of business tourists interested in our oil.

Our culture has only recently received some form of acknowledgement from both the public and the private sector resulting in events like Calabar carnival, Abuja carnival, Argungu festival among others. The industry is generally opening up to the global tourism trends and developments. Today, we see international brands like Nokia, Swatch, TM Lewin, Nandos evolving in cities like Lagos while already existing international hotel brands like the Hilton, Sheraton, Protea and Le Meridien are going all-out to uphold their brand image and identity in the competitive industry.

Top attractions in Nigeria for both domestic and international tourists include the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, Obudu cattle ranch in Cross River State, Le Meridien in Uyo, Tinapa in Cross River State, Silverbird Galleria in Lagos and you would not believe the efforts put in by states to promote tourism. Shopping is fast becoming a thriving sector in the country as Nigerians possess an encouraging consumer psychology for the industry and tend to be influenced by a certain desire to attain some form of social status and value for money.

Nigeria is an interesting destination for tourists and inhabitants. The trick is to keep and open mind and take every experience as an adventure. Nigerians are very hospitable people- so relax, we wont bite but here are a few tips

GENERAL

• Take permission from relevant authorities(if any) before taking any photos in any location to avoid any embarrassments 
•  Ensure you have credit on you phone before you start your journey just incase you are stranded somewhere and you need to make a call. Sim cards are as cheap as N200 
• Take necessary vaccinations before taking a trip to Nigeria, you may need a pair of sunglasses, sunscreen cream, mosquito repellant cream if you are visiting national parks or going to rural areas, a pair of slippers, cotton wears- preferably sleeveless and shorts for casual wears- the temperature could be as hot as 39 ^oC. 
• Always read about a place before visiting it. 
• Avoid travelling with products that are banned to avoid the  situation where you asked to offer money (drop something now?) 
•  Don’t hesitate to ask for directions from people around but confirm from others in the area because sometimes we think we know the place and end up giving the wrong direction 
•  Avoid taking along a large amount of cash on you at the same time. Hold enough cash for your immediate or basic needs but make arrangements for ATM cards, traveller’s cheque. 
•  If possible, make enquiries from any tourism organizations for details of any event or attraction in order to get the best out of it 
•   If you honestly do not know your way around, make use of registered taxis at airports or bus stations and request the driver’s mobile number for your return trip.

 

ROAD TRAVELLERS 

• Obey traffic signs and rules – we have human cameras on duty 
• You may know your rights as a driver but others may not. So look out not only for yourself but for other travellers including goats, chicken, dogs and cattle 
• Ensure you have easy access to drinking water to avoid getting dehydrated 
•  Don’t be reluctant to stop in villages or by the highways to buy foodstuff like yam, fruits, garri, plantain, game etc. 
• You would be surprised at the good bargain you will get. 
•  Don’t be surprised if someone says a prayer openly in a bus or shared taxi at the beginning of the trip, we are religious people and we like to commit our journeys into God’s hands (though most people whisper the prayer in aircrafts)

 AIR TRAVELLERS

•  Check online for ticket fares, you may be surprised what good deals you could possibly get 
• If you are in a city like Lagos, allow sufficient time for getting to the airport considering the traffic we always find ourselves in. 
• Confirm if you are taking off from local airport or the international airport as some domestic flights take off from the international airport.