Lost Kingdoms of Nigeria

Lagos

Nigeria’s largest city has a reputation that few others can match – a brash and incredibly vibrant city that can be daunting to some, exciting to others. Split between the islands and the mainland, Lagos is the powerhouse of the country, if not the region and with a population of around ten million is one of the largest cities in Africa. Nowhere else in Nigeria will you see such a marked difference between rich and poor, from the glitzy buildings of Victoria Island, where most of the ex-patriate population bases itself, to the slums and shanty towns elsewhere. It takes its name from the Portuguese word for lakes – Portuguese sailors were the first Europeans to have visited here on their quest to round the Cape of Good Hope.

Lagos is a melting pot and you will find all of Nigeria’s people here as well as Europeans, Chinese and others, drawn by the opportunities that it offers. Although much neglected these days there are still traces of its colonial past including a Neo-Gothic style cathedral and crumbling British government buildings. Like most African cities it is short on traditional ‘sights’ but the National Museum is well worth a visit, with its collection of cultural artefacts from around the country.

Few people fall in love with the city, but it is sure to leave a lasting impression on you and is a fascinating place to observe the complexities of Nigeria. It is not however the safest of cities and it’s not particularly advisable to walk around some areas on your own, particularly at night, so we ask that you take guidance from your tour leader on this.

Badagry

Humid, languid and decidedly tropical, Badagry sits on the coast not far from the Beninese border and is just about the closest thing to a tourist attraction that Nigeria possesses. Once an important slave port, the town contains numerous traces of its rather dark past including the ‘Brazilian Barracoon’, a set of old holding cells for slaves about to make their journey across the Atlantic. A rather sombre but meaningful excursion is the boat trip across the lagoon to walk to the ‘point of no return’ where slaves were loaded onto the ships, and along the path an old stone well dating from that time still stands.

Abeokuta

Abeokuta is the capital of Ogun State and of particular significance for the Yoruba people. The Olumo Rock, the town’s main attraction, is supposedly where the Egba clan hid during what became known as the Yoruba Wars of the 19th century, and then established their powerful kingdom. The rock itself is around 130m high, with steps leading up to it as well as a rather out of character concrete lift shaft. In caves on the rock you can still see the remains of rudimentary settlements and towards the back is a small community of worshippers centred around a shrine, where you may be expected to make a donation.

Abeokuta is also interesting due to the profusion of Afro-Brazilian architecture in some parts – these rather impressive buildings were built for local merchants in the 19th century by freed slaves returning from Brazil, who borrowed influences from there. Although many are now in various states of disrepair, the pastel colours and ornate designs on their facades are evidence of past grandeur, and Abeokuta is a rather charming place to walk around because of them.

Idanre Hills

Just outside the small town of Idanre lies the Idanre Hills ‘cultural landscape’, one of Nigeria’s best attractions that few have ever heard of. Up until the 1930s the population of the area lived high up on a rocky plateau, protected from outsiders and largely hidden from view, and when they decamped en masse to lower ground left behind well preserved buildings as a testament to a now lost way of life.

Nestled among long grasses and thick vegetation lie sacred streams, mystical engravings and mud brick buildings including an old courthouse – complete with dock for the defendant – as well as a palace filled with traditionally carved pillars that is still used for ceremonies to this day. The Idanre Hills are a delightful refuge from the often hectic world below, and this will be one of the highlights of your trip.

Oshogbo

Oshogbo is best known for being the home of one of Nigeria’s two UNESCO listed heritage sites. The Osun sacred grove is an area of forest on the outskirts of the city that is home to some rather bizarre and extraordinary sculptures, carved by the Austrian Sculptor Suzanne Wenger in the 1960s. Representations of the Yoruba gods, the giant sculptures sit at various points in the forest and range from giant insects to chameleons and more, as well as a series of figures congregating at a market for the ancient deities.

Underneath shady branches lies an old palace of indeterminate age, its exterior daubed with patterns and seemingly growing from the earth itself, while habituated monkeys scamper around the forest floor. Although undoubtedly in need of some love and attention, the sacred grove is a fascinating and rather other worldly place, and gives an insight into the complex Yoruba belief system. In the town itself lies a shrine for the Ife priestesses of Osun, where local people come to ask for favours from the gods – to witness a ritual here is to step into the heart of Yoruba culture and utterly enthralling.

Ilorin

The city of Ilorin marks the border between north and south Nigeria and it is here that you first start to really notice the influence of Islam, with many women covering themselves – the conservatism in direct contrast to the flamboyance of the south. It is known as a centre of pottery and down the dusty backstreets small cottage industries churn out pots of various sizes, while in other parts traditional weavers make garments for the chiefly nobility. Still a major city by any standard, it lacks the vigour of somewhere like Lagos but is an interesting place to start to get to grips with what lies beyond.

The Kamberi rarely see visitors and you will be rather a novelty here. The main settlement is Genu, where we rub shoulders with people coming in from the nearby villages to trade. We spend one night sleeping under the stars in a local village, returning to Kontagora in the afternoon of Day 10. (BLD)

The Kamberi people

The Kamberi are one of Nigeria’s most fascinating ethnic groups – in a country where modernity is quickly eroding, or at least changing, the old ways the Kamberi stick resolutely to the customs of their ancestors. To the north east of Kontagora they live in isolated villages far from the main roads, making a living out of traditional agriculture. The Kamberi women are a sight to behold, with colourful beads and headgear, tattooed and painted faces and bright jewellery protruding from their lips – the men tend to be less traditional as is often the case. The Kamberi congregate at weekly markets held in a different village each day – these are lively affairs with millet beer being passed around, traditional singing and dancing, and you are likely to be the focus of attention if you visit. The Kamberi see few outsiders, and very few Europeans have ever made it this far, making this a real privilege and an undoubted highlight of the trip.

Please note that there is no accommodation near here and so we will camp in the village – you will need to bring your own sleeping mat and bag for this, and while we realise that this is a bit of an inconvenience for just one night of the tour, it is more than worth it to spend time in such a fascinating area.

Abuja

Nigeria’s capital is an artificial construction, much like Brasilia and Astana, built in the 1970s to provide a workable seat of government rather than the chronic overcrowding and traffic problems of Lagos. Unlike Lagos it is dominated by any one ethnic group, chosen partly due to the fact that it could be a ‘neutral’ site for government to be located. This being a new city there are no real sites to see as such, but it is very interesting to see a side of the country that is in such contrast to the remainder.