Insurgency, religious crises and the almajiri system may have painted Northern Nigeria in a bad light but the region has a lot to offer in terms of culture, festivals, tourism, rich history and beautiful sites.
Northern Nigeria is home to the rich Durbar festivals, the food, hospitable people and scenic sites and destinations. It has popular tourist destinations that include Kajuru Castle, Yankari Games Reserve to mention a few. Going up North might be another adventure you may want to consider anytime. We picked out some fun spots you should visit up North:
1. Gurara Waterfalls, Niger
Gurara waterfalls was discovered by a Gwari hunter called Buba in 1745. It is one of Niger’s major tourist attractions. It was named after two deities Gura and Rara which were worshipped by the Gwari people. The waterfall is very beautiful and it stands at a height of 30 meters and a gushing width of 200 meters.
It is the highest point in Nigeria standing at about 1,600 meters (5,249 ft) above sea level. It is a combination of waterfalls, hills and mountains. The highest mountain Chappal Wadi which stands at 7,936 ft above sea level is the highest mountain in Nigeria is found at the northeastern flank of the Plateau. The plateau is Nigeria’s northern continuation of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon.
3. Shere Hills, Jos
This magnificent wonder of nature located is very scenic and quite an adventure to hike on as it is a combination of various hills and rock formations with the highest hill standing at 6,001 feet above sea level. They also form the third highest point in Nigeria after Chappal Waddi and Mount Dimlang.
4. Matsirga Falls Kafanchan, Kaduna
Located in Madakiya, Kafanchan Kaduna, Matsirga Falls is yet another beautiful waterfall in the North. It has a height of about 30 meters and gets its source from springs on the Kagoro hills. The water at the Matsirga Falls drops into a gorge that has been supported by beautiful rocks.
5. Gashaka Gumti National Park, Taraba
Gashaka Gumti is said to be the largest wildlife park in Nigeria with various species of games to view. The national park was created from two game reserves in 1991. It is in the eastern provinces of Taraba and Adamawa state to the border with Cameroon. The animal fauna is diverse with over 103 mammal species recorded, the avian fauna also has an estimate of over a million birds and has been labelled one of Africa’s “Important Bird Areas”.