As one of countries starting with N, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is located in the west of Africa on the South Atlantic Ocean. The country is presumably inhabited from the tenth century AD by the Yoruba. These settled in the southwestern part of the country and founded the kingdom of Benin here with the city of Benin as its capital. In the centuries that followed, more tribes and peoples came to live in this area. Today about two hundred and fifty different tribes live in the country. At the end of the fifteenth century, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to set foot here. Later the English followed, who traded in pepper and ivory and later also went here to get their slaves. After the ban on the slave trade at the beginning of the nineteenth century, people mainly traded in palm oil. It would take until the mid-nineteenth century before England would colonize Nigeria. First in two separate parts that would later be merged into the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. After the Second World War, a part of Cameroon was added to this colony. A few decades later, the first steps were taken towards an independent Nigeria that, despite its great differences over the centuries, had become one country. In 1960, an independent Nigeria was finally declared. This led to bloody civil wars and fierce power struggles in the early years. it would take until the mid-seventies before peace was restored to the country. Today there is reasonable political stability in the country. However, the government of Nigeria is seen as a false democracy.
Nigeria is not really what you would call a holiday destination. The foreigners staying in Nigeria are mainly here for work and rarely on holiday. For this, the country is simply not safe enough for foreigners. If this ever changes, Nigeria could potentially become an attractive winter sun destination. But before that happens, a lot will have to be changed in the country.
Sights
Few historical or cultural sites can be found in Nigeria. Except for the two cultural sites that are on the World Heritage List. The city of Benin-City is an exception to this. This city was founded in the tenth century AD as the capital of the Kingdom of Benin. The city is known for its bronze works of art and the royal palace.
The country does have a beautiful vast rainforest where many hundreds of different animal species occur. One of the best places to observe these animals is in Yankari National Park. More than five hundred elephants, buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck and baboons live in this park. This park is one of the most popular eco-destinations in the western part of Africa. The best place to spot the various animals is at one of the many natural hot springs that can be found in this park. Another well-known natural landmark in Nigeria is Zuma’s Rock. Located just outside the capital city of Abuja, this huge monolith can also be found on the back of the hundred naira note.
A special phenomenon in Nigeria are the so-called Nollywood films. After Hollywood and Bollywood, Nigeria has the largest film industry in the world. The films that are made are in no way comparable to the films from Hollywood. For example, the film is shot in less than a week with a handheld camera and is released exclusively on DVD or other formats. The film industry is Nigeria’s second largest employer.
UNESCO
Nigeria has two inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This concerns two cultural registrations. The Sukur Cultural Landscape was the first to be added in 199. The dirt landscape includes terraces, a palace and a village. The second inscription is the Sacred Forest of Osun-Osogbo. This forest along the Osun River is full of lots, altars, works of art and statues to the Goddess Osun, the Goddess of Fertility and some other deities. This is the last remaining sacred grove in Nigeria. It used to be a tradition to have such a forest near your village.
Climate
Most of Nigeria has a tropical savanna climate that changes into a tropical monsoon climate in the south. In the southeastern part of Nigeria, the Tropical rainforest climate occurs in some places. This is because in these places quite a lot of precipitation can fall in the winter months. The climate in the northern part of Nigeria is partly determined by its location near the Sahel. Due to this influence, most of Nigeria has a tropical climate. Only the most northern parts of Nigeria are an exception to this. The landscape here consists mainly of steppe fields and in some places the steppe climate or the warm desert climate occurs here.
The vast majority of Nigeria consists of savanna where a mixture of the tropical savanna and tropical monsoon climate occurs. The winter period here is considerably drier than the summer months. Due to the high precipitation figures in the summer months, the average humidity can rise considerably during this period. The average daytime temperature in Nigeria fluctuates around thirty degrees Celsius throughout the year. Only in the higher parts of the country, such as the Obudi Plateau, the average temperature can be a lot lower.
Geography
Nigeria is located in the western part of Africa on the Gulf of Guinea which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria has land borders with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria consists of two parts, the Gulf of Benin and the Gulf of Bonny. The Nigerian landscape consists of a varied landscape. Mangrove forests on the coast, savanna and grass steppe in the northwest and the rest of the country is covered with tropical rainforest.
The two largest and most important rivers in the country are the Niger and the Beneu. These two rivers together form one of the largest river deltas in the world.
The highest mountain in Nigeria is Chappel Wadi with 2,491 meters. This mountain is located in the eastern part of Nigeria not far from the border with Cameroon. The mountain is located in the Gasahaka Gumti National Park.
The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos, this immense city is the second largest city in Africa after Cairo in Egypt. Lagos was the capital of Nigeria until 1991 but then it was decided that a more centrally located place should receive this honor. Since then, the centrally located but much smaller Abuja has been the capital of Nigeria. Other major cities in Nigeria include Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Maiduguri, Benin-City and Zaria. These cities all had more than one million inhabitants during the last census.
Travel advice
The travel advice for Nigeria has been on the status “All travel to certain areas is discouraged” for several years now. By certain parts is meant just about the entire country. There are few places in Nigeria where it is safe to walk as a western tourist. In the unlikely event that you have to travel to Nigeria, take a number of safety aspects into account. As a foreigner, do not go alone on the street here and foreigners are regularly kidnapped for ransom. Traveling by public transport and in the evening and at night is not recommended at all. In addition, you should take into account that the highways are not of the quality that we are used to, but that it is just as busy or busier with us. It is wise to travel in a guarded convoy.
Serious crime occurs in several places and areas in Nigeria. These are not specifically aimed at foreigners but at the more affluent residents and visitors of the country. As a foreigner, you automatically belong here. Strict rules apply to traveling salesmen, which are often imposed by the company that needs to be visited. Follow these rules closely and keep an eye on the latest developments.
Piracy is a regular occurrence off the coast of Nigeria.
Travel documents
In order to visit Nigeria, you must be in possession of a passport that is valid for at least six months on the date of departure from Nigeria. In addition, you must apply for a visa at the Nigerian Embassy in The Hague. In order to apply for this visa, you must be in possession of two passport photos, a signed application form, a bank guarantee, an invitation, a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever and an online payment for the application. In addition, you must be in possession of a return or onward ticket.
The speed of issuing these visas is not very great. It is therefore not wise to book your ticket in advance.
A yellow fever vaccination is mandatory if you travel to Nigeria and you must also be in possession of a cholera stamp. This only if you enter Nigeria by land. In addition, it is wise to take vaccinations against hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid fever and tuberculosis. Malaria occurs in Nigeria, so take malaria pills with you, sleep under a mosquito net and make sure you have enough DEET.
Info table
| Capital city | Abuja |
| Phone (country code) | 234 |
| Internetdomein | .of |
| Language(s) (official) | Engels |
| Language(s) (colloquial) | Engels, Haussa, Yoruba, Igbo, Nigerians Pidgin, Adamawa Fulfulde, Kanuri, Nigerians Fulfulde, Anaang, Izon, tiv en nog een tiental andere talen en dialecten |
| Religion(s) | Islam, Christianity and nature religions |
| Time zone(s) | UTC+1 |
| Time difference summer | in Nigeria time is the same as the Netherlands |
| Time difference winter | in Nigeria it is 1 hour earlier than in the Netherlands |
| Daylight Saving Time Control | nee |
| Currency | Naira |
