Nigeria's hospitality industry is making a recovery following major setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend has been holding since 2021 when the sector's contribution to Nigeria's economy grew to 3.6 percent, an increase from the 2.8 percent recorded in 2020. Experts say the country's tourism and hospitality industry could reach its full potential if the government implements policies to improve the sector.
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Friday, April 14, 2023
Video - Hospitality industry in Nigeria continues to recover after pandemic setbacks
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Nigerians flock to new Abuja beauty spot
An abandoned quarry in Nigeria has been become a tourist hotspot after images were posted on social media earlier this month.
The rocky cliffs climbing into a blue sky, a moss-lined footpath, small green hills and a lake that shimmers in the sun are quite breath-taking and a set of images shared on Twitter at the beginning of August has been liked more than a thousand times.
In a matter of days of the post, the site, known as Crushed Rock, in Mpape - a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital Abuja - was thronged.
There has been a DJ stand, food vendors, hundreds of sun-bathing selfie-takers - and even a band of classical musicians.
Nigerians are not generally known to be outdoor lovers - the weather is very hot in the north and quite humid in the south.
However, there is a burgeoning community of hikers around Abuja inspired by the many expatriates living in the political capital.
The coronavirus pandemic has also had a part to play in encouraging these young middle-class Nigerians to explore the hills in the country's rocky central region.
The lockdown, which prevented people from travelling elsewhere, has meant that places closer to home are being explored.
The area around Mpape, which means "rock" in the local Gwari language, supplied much of the stone used to transform Abuja from a small village in the 1980s into the country's capital city.
"The quarry has existed for more than 10 years," said Mpape resident Courage Ebenz, who is somewhat bemused by the sudden influx of city-dwellers.
Nigeria has an abundance of sites of natural beauty, but this "man-made" location has its own appeal - with three main tiers that each give a stunning view of the water below.
Sightseers can choose a small winding footpath to the top terrace, where the grass is an ideal picnic location.
The more adventurous can continue down the path that circles and snakes down to the water's edge.
But a warning for the brave who might want to plunge into the water - the locals say it is full of abandoned machinery.
According to Abraham Adepelumi, a geo-physicist at Obafemi Awolowo university, the lake was formed as a result of the fracturing of an aquifer.
"Once the rock got fractured, the water within the rock was under pressure," he told the BBC.
"It is a natural phenomenon, Mpape is a fracture-prone area of Abuja and has experienced tremors as recent as 2018."
The local emergency agency has warned amateurs against hiking at Mpape Crushed Rock, but fun-seekers seem not to be deterred.
"I didn't know we had such a place in Nigeria and I wanted to see if it is real," Elizabeth Okute, who came with her friends after seeing pictures on Facebook, told the BBC.
"I am surprised such a place exists in Abuja and I love what I am seeing," said Ann Chukwuka.
Emeka Uko, who kept straying to the edge much to the chagrin of his friends, added: "I hope we put measures in place to preserve it."
This is exactly what some volunteers decided to do last Saturday, clearing up a trail of plastic waste around the quarry that has built up over the last few weeks.
They split into two groups to compete to see who could collect the most rubbish - updating social media as they went.
"A lot of people felt it was their responsibility to clean up the place," Brandon Akume, whose group came second in the clean-up dash, told the BBC.
This was an alien concept to most Nigerians, he added.
He moved from one group of picnickers to the other, handing out rubbish bags, instructing people to dispose of their litter.
"They want to poison this place, it seems I have my work cut out for me," he said.
BBC
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Video - Nigeria's hospitality industry reels from COVID-19 impact
The hospitality industry in Nigeria has been left on life-support as a result of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotels, night clubs and lounges have all been hit hard with millions losing their jobs and worsening an already grim unemployment situation in the country. Here is CGTN’s Deji Badmus with more on that story.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
10 things Nigeria does better than anywhere else
From email scams to oil spills and charlatan Pentecostal preachers, it's clear that Nigeria has something of an image problem.
While the outside world's perception of Africa's most populous country hasn't always been overwhelmingly positive, there's plenty more to this nation than its unsavory associations.
With its vibrant culture, sense of humor and adaptability, Nigeria has become the "Giant of Africa" in more ways than just population size.
In honor of Nigeria's Independence Day on October 1, here are 10 of the many reasons why the destination one in five Africans call home stands out from the rest. You may be inspired to add
Nigeria to your travel list:
Traditional weddings
In Nigeria, if you've reached your 30th birthday and are still unhitched, the elders will harass you down the aisle, which is why barely a week goes by without someone staging a traditional wedding ceremony somewhere.
Weddings are a sacred part of cultural life, but also an excuse to show off cuisine, fabulous clothing, music and dance moves in one life-affirming, chromatic bonanza.
With 250-odd ethnic groups, the ceremonies come in a variety of styles, depending on your region.
In the southwest, the groom and his friends might prostrate themselves at the start.
However, in the southeast you'll see them dancing their way into the ceremony, wearing bowler hats and clutching walking canes.
In other regions, the bride and groom's families send each other letters of proposal and acceptance before getting down to dowry negotiations.
Once the serious stuff is done, it's back to music and dancing and, best of all, the tossing of banknotes in the air to make money literally rain down on the newlyweds.
If you haven't experienced a traditional Nigerian wedding, you haven't experienced Nigeria.
Jollof rice
This mouth-watering tomato-based rice dish is a party staple.
There are many ways to cook it, involving endless permutations of meat, spices, chilli, onions and vegetables.
While it's widely accepted that Senegal invented this dish, the concept spread to West African countries.
The most notable are Ghana and Nigeria -- two nations that have vied with one another for supremacy in a never-ending battle known as the jollof wars.
Nigerians are the indisputable champions, of course, serving up "advanced level" jollof that our Ghanaian rivals can only watch and admire.
Oya, come chop!
Eating chicken to the bone
While we're still on the subject of food, Nigerians are champions at eating chicken to the bone and beyond.
It's not enough to simply eat the flesh. We break the bone, suck out the marrow and pulverize the remainder until there's almost nothing left.
If your chicken thigh is still forensically identifiable at the end of the meal then you haven't done it right. Abeg, finish am!
Nollywood films
Only Hollywood and India's Bollywood make more movies than Nigeria.
Known as Nollywood, our film industry is big business -- so big it contributes 5% to national GDP.
With average flicks churned out in under a two weeks, Nollywood films are famous for their poor (albeit improving) production values.
But what they lack in sophistication they make up for in story lines that are an entertaining window on Nigerian moral values and byzantine social dynamics.
Narratives exploring servant-master relationships, the supernatural, corruption and infidelity are delivered with lashings of shouty, eye-bulging overacting.
The movies draw a big audience in the rest of Africa, where viewers from more reserved societies can revel vicariously in Nigeria's outlandishness and even pick up some of our slang.
Nigerian soft power has never been greater.
Durbar royal horse parade
The annual Durbar festival is the cultural highlight of Nigeria's Islamic north.
This visual extravaganza is celebrated by thousands of peoples, mainly from the Hausa-Fulani ethnic groups, in multiple cities at the end of Ramadan.
Followed by a parade that takes place in the city of Kano at the Emir's Palace, it's become a longstanding tourist attraction.
The Emir's sons, noblemen and regiments show their loyalty by trooping past on horses, accompanied by musicians.
Each royal household has its own unique costume, made up of billowing robes and turbans that glitter in every color under the sun.
Wearing black leather gloves, the princes raise a "power" fist as they bounce past the Emir.
Being polygamous, the Emirs have literally dozens of sons and every one of them takes part, from the middle-aged to the toddlers. Counting them all is part of the fun.
Optimism
For all its political and economic troubles, Nigerians are somehow still among the most optimistic and happy people on the planet.
Opportunity doesn't come knocking -- we chase it, with the help of God, who we all know is on our side.
The Lord may have rested on the seventh day of Earth's creation, but that's the last day off he's enjoyed ever since.
Nigerians call upon Him 24/7, praying and pumping fists and demanding His favors.
Evidence of our optimistic spirit lies everywhere: It's in the billboards that promise "a divine upgrade", or our hustling entrepreneurial spirit, or the crumbling roadside shacks grandly named "Victory Plaza." There's no room for despair when we see ourselves as "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" (to quote Steinbeck) on the expressway to heaven.
So next time a Nigerian tells you "I will become the greatest by force!" understand that they're not bragging -- they're just speaking their dreams into existence.
Proverbial sense
Nigerians love a good proverb and we never stop inventing new ones.
Some aphorisms are blunt and to-the-point. Others can be a little cryptic, so you sometimes need a high level of "proverbial sense" to understand what they're getting at:
"Monkey no fine but im mama no like am [The monkey might be ugly but his mother loves him]."
"If you can't dance well, you'd better not get up."
"The man being carried does not realize how far away the town really is."
"The quarrel that doesn't concern you is pleasant to hear about."
"The whip hits at the legs, not the guilt."
"Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters."
"The one-eyed man does not thank God until he sees a blind man."
"Rat wey get only one hole, they quick die [A rat with just one hole will soon die]."
"After God, fear woman."
"No license for nonsense [behave yourself]."
"No business, no wife."
"Keke [motorized tricycle] today, private jet tomorrow!"
Masquerades
Masquerades are a huge aspect of Nigerian culture.
These masked costumed figures are considered to embody the spirits, and serve as a fundamental part of Nigerian pre-colonial religious tradition.
Nowadays they double up as entertainment and appear during weddings and festivals, particularly at Christmas time.
Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, each with its own masquerade. The masks and costumes are visually striking.
They can be made from a variety of materials such as grass, animal horns and teeth, and the young men who wear them sometimes cover their limbs in black palm oil to mesmerizing and scary effect.
The masquerades travel through the villages, performing dances, acrobatics and reciting incantations.
Chasing terrified villagers with bows and arrows or whips is also part of the tradition, so get ready to move your feet.
Bronze sculptures
The famous Benin Bronzes are a collection of plaques and sculptures that once decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin.
Dating back to the 13th century, these exquisite artworks include bas-relief images of dignitaries or warriors.
They were influenced by the Ife civilization nearby, which produced life-sized bronze heads of the Ooni (king) and his queens.
When Europeans first saw the Hellenic-style realism of the Ife sculptures they were "shocked" that Africans could produce such beauty and sophistication.
The British liked the Benin bronzes so much they stole them during punitive raids in 1897 and have kept hold of them to this day.
Some of the best specimens are displayed at the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris and Berlin's Ethnological Museum.
Making the best of 'go slows' (traffic jams)
Traffic jams -- known as go slows -- are a daily part of life on Nigeria's roads, but although they may delay your journey they needn't stop you from completing your day's shopping from the comfort of your vehicle. Need some socks? Street vendors can sort you out.
They'll also sell handkerchiefs, belts, books, newspapers, fruit, vegetables, chocolates, electrical appliances and even oil paintings -- if that's what you're after.
Simply roll down your window and call for their attention.
By Noo Saro-Wiwa
CNN
While the outside world's perception of Africa's most populous country hasn't always been overwhelmingly positive, there's plenty more to this nation than its unsavory associations.
With its vibrant culture, sense of humor and adaptability, Nigeria has become the "Giant of Africa" in more ways than just population size.
In honor of Nigeria's Independence Day on October 1, here are 10 of the many reasons why the destination one in five Africans call home stands out from the rest. You may be inspired to add
Nigeria to your travel list:
Traditional weddings
In Nigeria, if you've reached your 30th birthday and are still unhitched, the elders will harass you down the aisle, which is why barely a week goes by without someone staging a traditional wedding ceremony somewhere.
Weddings are a sacred part of cultural life, but also an excuse to show off cuisine, fabulous clothing, music and dance moves in one life-affirming, chromatic bonanza.
With 250-odd ethnic groups, the ceremonies come in a variety of styles, depending on your region.
In the southwest, the groom and his friends might prostrate themselves at the start.
However, in the southeast you'll see them dancing their way into the ceremony, wearing bowler hats and clutching walking canes.
In other regions, the bride and groom's families send each other letters of proposal and acceptance before getting down to dowry negotiations.
Once the serious stuff is done, it's back to music and dancing and, best of all, the tossing of banknotes in the air to make money literally rain down on the newlyweds.
If you haven't experienced a traditional Nigerian wedding, you haven't experienced Nigeria.
Jollof rice
This mouth-watering tomato-based rice dish is a party staple.
There are many ways to cook it, involving endless permutations of meat, spices, chilli, onions and vegetables.
While it's widely accepted that Senegal invented this dish, the concept spread to West African countries.
The most notable are Ghana and Nigeria -- two nations that have vied with one another for supremacy in a never-ending battle known as the jollof wars.
Nigerians are the indisputable champions, of course, serving up "advanced level" jollof that our Ghanaian rivals can only watch and admire.
Oya, come chop!
Eating chicken to the bone
While we're still on the subject of food, Nigerians are champions at eating chicken to the bone and beyond.
It's not enough to simply eat the flesh. We break the bone, suck out the marrow and pulverize the remainder until there's almost nothing left.
If your chicken thigh is still forensically identifiable at the end of the meal then you haven't done it right. Abeg, finish am!
Nollywood films
Only Hollywood and India's Bollywood make more movies than Nigeria.
Known as Nollywood, our film industry is big business -- so big it contributes 5% to national GDP.
With average flicks churned out in under a two weeks, Nollywood films are famous for their poor (albeit improving) production values.
But what they lack in sophistication they make up for in story lines that are an entertaining window on Nigerian moral values and byzantine social dynamics.
Narratives exploring servant-master relationships, the supernatural, corruption and infidelity are delivered with lashings of shouty, eye-bulging overacting.
The movies draw a big audience in the rest of Africa, where viewers from more reserved societies can revel vicariously in Nigeria's outlandishness and even pick up some of our slang.
Nigerian soft power has never been greater.
Durbar royal horse parade
The annual Durbar festival is the cultural highlight of Nigeria's Islamic north.
This visual extravaganza is celebrated by thousands of peoples, mainly from the Hausa-Fulani ethnic groups, in multiple cities at the end of Ramadan.
Followed by a parade that takes place in the city of Kano at the Emir's Palace, it's become a longstanding tourist attraction.
The Emir's sons, noblemen and regiments show their loyalty by trooping past on horses, accompanied by musicians.
Each royal household has its own unique costume, made up of billowing robes and turbans that glitter in every color under the sun.
Wearing black leather gloves, the princes raise a "power" fist as they bounce past the Emir.
Being polygamous, the Emirs have literally dozens of sons and every one of them takes part, from the middle-aged to the toddlers. Counting them all is part of the fun.
Optimism
For all its political and economic troubles, Nigerians are somehow still among the most optimistic and happy people on the planet.
Opportunity doesn't come knocking -- we chase it, with the help of God, who we all know is on our side.
The Lord may have rested on the seventh day of Earth's creation, but that's the last day off he's enjoyed ever since.
Nigerians call upon Him 24/7, praying and pumping fists and demanding His favors.
Evidence of our optimistic spirit lies everywhere: It's in the billboards that promise "a divine upgrade", or our hustling entrepreneurial spirit, or the crumbling roadside shacks grandly named "Victory Plaza." There's no room for despair when we see ourselves as "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" (to quote Steinbeck) on the expressway to heaven.
So next time a Nigerian tells you "I will become the greatest by force!" understand that they're not bragging -- they're just speaking their dreams into existence.
Proverbial sense
Nigerians love a good proverb and we never stop inventing new ones.
Some aphorisms are blunt and to-the-point. Others can be a little cryptic, so you sometimes need a high level of "proverbial sense" to understand what they're getting at:
"Monkey no fine but im mama no like am [The monkey might be ugly but his mother loves him]."
"If you can't dance well, you'd better not get up."
"The man being carried does not realize how far away the town really is."
"The quarrel that doesn't concern you is pleasant to hear about."
"The whip hits at the legs, not the guilt."
"Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters."
"The one-eyed man does not thank God until he sees a blind man."
"Rat wey get only one hole, they quick die [A rat with just one hole will soon die]."
"After God, fear woman."
"No license for nonsense [behave yourself]."
"No business, no wife."
"Keke [motorized tricycle] today, private jet tomorrow!"
Masquerades
Masquerades are a huge aspect of Nigerian culture.
These masked costumed figures are considered to embody the spirits, and serve as a fundamental part of Nigerian pre-colonial religious tradition.
Nowadays they double up as entertainment and appear during weddings and festivals, particularly at Christmas time.
Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, each with its own masquerade. The masks and costumes are visually striking.
They can be made from a variety of materials such as grass, animal horns and teeth, and the young men who wear them sometimes cover their limbs in black palm oil to mesmerizing and scary effect.
The masquerades travel through the villages, performing dances, acrobatics and reciting incantations.
Chasing terrified villagers with bows and arrows or whips is also part of the tradition, so get ready to move your feet.
Bronze sculptures
The famous Benin Bronzes are a collection of plaques and sculptures that once decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin.
Dating back to the 13th century, these exquisite artworks include bas-relief images of dignitaries or warriors.
They were influenced by the Ife civilization nearby, which produced life-sized bronze heads of the Ooni (king) and his queens.
When Europeans first saw the Hellenic-style realism of the Ife sculptures they were "shocked" that Africans could produce such beauty and sophistication.
The British liked the Benin bronzes so much they stole them during punitive raids in 1897 and have kept hold of them to this day.
Some of the best specimens are displayed at the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris and Berlin's Ethnological Museum.
Making the best of 'go slows' (traffic jams)
Traffic jams -- known as go slows -- are a daily part of life on Nigeria's roads, but although they may delay your journey they needn't stop you from completing your day's shopping from the comfort of your vehicle. Need some socks? Street vendors can sort you out.
They'll also sell handkerchiefs, belts, books, newspapers, fruit, vegetables, chocolates, electrical appliances and even oil paintings -- if that's what you're after.
Simply roll down your window and call for their attention.
By Noo Saro-Wiwa
CNN
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Video - New air-conditioning directive in Nigeria is aimed at promoting tourism
All passenger service vehicles operating in Abuja have been directed to fix the air-conditioning in their cars. Authorities say the directive is aimed at promoting tourism - and will be enforced from the 1st of October.
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