Sights in Nigeria
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Osun Sacred Forest
The Sacred Forest is a large area of rainforest on the outskirts of Oshogbo. Within the forest is the beautiful Shrine of Oshuno, the River Goddess. In addition to natural beauty, there are many stunning sculptures by Suzanne Wenger (known locally as Aduni Olosa, the 'Adored One'), an Austrian painter and sculptor who came here in the 1950s.
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Lekki Conservation Centre
Run by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, this centre has a huge tract of wetlands set aside for wildlife viewing. Raised walkways enable you to see monkeys, crocodiles and various birds; early morning is the best time to visit. There is a conservation centre and a library.
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National Museum
The National Museum is definitely worth seeing, but note - no cameras are allowed. The star attractions are the brasses from Benin City, which get their own gallery. The Nok Terracottas are also well represented. Another gallery dedicated to traditional symbols of power contains carved ivory and a royal host of crowns. A less fortunate symbol of power is the bullet-riddled car in which Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in 1976. This museum also operates a nonprofit crafts centre, which stocks a good range of batik cloth, woodcarvings and textiles at fixed prices. There's a fine range of intricately decorated calabashes from across Nigeria.
The museum has a small crafts…
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Yankari National Park
Yankari is Nigeria's best park for observing wildlife. With a bit of luck you may come across buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, hyenas, leopards, plenty of baboons and the odd lion. While the park's animal population has suffered from poaching it still has some big drawcards like the 500-strong population of elephants and the bird-watching is excellent.
The best time to see animals is from late December to late April, before the rains, when the thirsty animals congregate at the Gaji River. You're permitted to drive your own vehicle if you take a guide, otherwise the park has a safari truck that takes two hour tours.
Yankari's other great attraction is the incredibly…
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Sungbo's Eredo
Sungbo's Eredo is Africa's largest construction, a 160km/99mi-long, 1050-year-old, 20m/65ft-high linear boundary rampart that once surrounded the ancient kingdom of Ijebu. Built over two centuries, it's now largely covered by rainforest. Use the guiding services of locals to explore it, and respect the shrines and other crumbling remnants.
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Sungbo's Eredo
Just one hour from Lagos, this ancient rampart is Africa's largest construction. It's 1050 years old, 160km (100mi) long, and 20m (66ft) high. It once surrounded the ancient kingdom of Ijebu. Built over two centuries, it's now largely covered by rainforest; use the guiding services of local farmers.
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Tafawa Balewa Square
Named for Nigeria's first prime minister, this is Lagos' commercial heart and has some remarkable monuments. They include statues of gargantuan horses, the Remembrance Arcade (with memorials to WWI, WWII and civil-war victims) and the 26-storey Independence House, built in 1963.
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National Theatre
The National Theatre is the huge round building you see on the drive in from the airport. It has galleries of modern Nigerian art, Nigerian crafts and other African arts. The best time to visit is between 10:00 and 15:00 Tuesday to Saturday, when all three galleries are open.
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Olumo Rock
At Abeokuta, 70km north of Lagos, the sacred Olumo rock has commanding views of Lagos and the surrounding country. There are also caves and a shrine in the area, and at the market you can buy adire cloth and plenty of juju material.
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