Meanwhile, Has anyone heard about the Welcome2Nigeria Project? I'm sure quite a few or none at all. That's a project I'm involved in as one of the media consultants. I will be using this channel to elucidate more on what Welcome2Nigeria Project is all about in due course.
I started a series on Nigeria which i intend to be one avenue to project Nigeria of now and of our dreams. This new year 2008, I'm going to be doing a lot on the Nigerian Image.
Here is the continuation of Nigeria: Infinite Potential In Abuja, a city founded in the centre of the country in 1974 and made into its capital in 1991, the population is growing ceaselessly. Besides the activity generated by the Transcorp Hilton, Sheraton and Chelsea and other Hotels, the government is also making efforts to entertain foreign visitors and residents in the city. Last November, the capital celebrated its second carnival, which grouped together several of the country's most famous tourist attraction. Among the most spectacular events were a traditional Atilogwu dance and the scintilating gallop of over eight hundred Durbar Horsemen.
The Durbar festival is traditionally held in the cities of Kano and Katsina twice a year - once after the month of Ramadan, and again during the muslim celebration of Ide-el-Kabir (which commemorates Abraham's sacrifice to God of an animal in place of his own son). During the festival, the Emir receives the tribute of his subjects, who fire their rifles as they let out the reins of their embellished steeds for the gallop.
Nigeria also has several nature reserves, though tourist facilites are yet to approaching top-class. One that stands out is Yankari, in Bauchi. The best time to see wild animals is between November and May, when the dry season parches the vegetation. Another interesting reserve with a lovely landscape of green mountains, radically different from the rest of the country, is Mambilla Plateau on the frontier with Cameroon. It offers relaxing vistas of green tea plantations spreading over gently undulating hills. The neighbouring Gashaka-Gumti reserve contains the highest peak in Nigeria, the 2409-metre Chapal Waddi. This region is inhabited by buffalos, monkeys, hippopotami and even gorillas.Nigeria is a great country of huge potential, and it is sure to leave an indelible mark on anyone who manages to overcome their fear of the unknown, allowing themselves to be drawn along by the hospitality and enormous cultural variety of its people.
