- The seven states in the Northwest have beautiful tourist destinations to explore
- TheRadar compiled a list of nine tourist destinations in Northwest Nigeria
- The tourist destinations include Matsirga Falls, Surname Cultural Landscape, Ancient Nok and Sultan Palace
Tourists within and outside Nigeria always look for exciting destinations to explore, either for their grandeur or natural attractions.
Since Nigeria is divided into six geo-political regions, this article highlights the North Western region and the catchy tourist destinations for explorers.
North Western Nigeria, with its beautiful landscape, wondrous display of nature and socio-cultural heterogeneity, comprises seven states, which include Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
These states have beautiful tourist attractions that are quite affordable to visit.
TheRadar has compiled a list of 10 affordable tourist destinations to visit in North West Nigeria. This will provide a safe guide for tourists who want to explore interesting and amazing places in the North West.
Tourist destinations in North Western Nigeria
1.Matsirga Falls (Kaduna State)
It is situated in Madakiya close to Kafanchan, about 227 kilometres South of Kaduna. The water drops 30 metres into a gorge which is supported by beautiful rocks. The fresh cool breeze around the area serves as a beautiful sight for tourists.
The river formed by Matsirga Waterfalls increases during the rainy season, overflowing its banks. A natural rock shelter at the river bank forms a cover and resting place for picnicking. Similar to a half umbrella, it provides shade for tourists amidst the wondrous continuous waterfall.
Matsirga Waterfalls take its source from springs on the Kagoro Hills emanating from four different natural funnels off the sheer rock cliff from about 25 metres to form a large pool at the bottom.
2. The Surame Cultural Landscape (Sokoto State)
Surame ancient kingdoms existed around the 15th and 16th centuries. It is a unique site for tourists with a surface of about 9 kilometres, in which one-third of the relics have some traces of human settlement in the form of Hausa foundations, remains of compound enclosures, wall rubbles, wells, and potsherds. Some other features include the walls, Grates, Baobab tree, trench and ditches.
Around the kingdom, the digging of ditches throughout the circumference of the great walls and thorns and plantings made it difficult for the invading army to gain entrance into the kingdom.
3. The Ancient Nok Settlement (Kaduna State)
This tourist destination is located in a village called Nok in present-day Jaba, Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The material remains have been named after the Ham People of Nok, who are known for their terracotta sculptures, which were first discovered in 1928.
The culture is one of the earliest known West African societies, which existed in modern-day Nigeria between around 500 BCE and 200 CE. However, archaeologists claim that they may have existed as far back as 1500 BCE.
4. Kuyambana Game Reserve (Zamfara State)
Kuyambana Game Reserve is a vast forest area located in Zamfara State, Nigeria. It was set aside by the government for the preservation of plants and animals, especially the endangered species. This area stretches from the Dajin Rugu to the Kontagora forest. It is a safe abode for animals like elephants, lions, and hyenas as the government has prohibited hunting and human activities in this area. This tourist destination is about 100km from Gusau.
The Kuyambana Game Reserve is open to the public with access to observe the wildlife. People that can visit it include nature enthusiasts, zoologists, fun lovers and class groups. Kuyambana game reserve is located in the North-West region of the country. This region experiences two seasons which are the rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season comes heavily from the Months of May, June, and July. The dry season usually comes between the months of October and April.
The Kuyambana Game Reserve can be visited during the day when the reserve will be open for all and sundry. Also, it is a relatively safe location as tour guards are available but guests are advised not to move too close to the animals.
5. Kwiambana Forest Reserve (Zamfara State)
Kwiambana Forest Reserve was submitted to UNESCO as a potential World Heritage Center in November 1995 by the Nigerian government. It has a very beautiful green and serene environment. Also, it can be visited anytime in the year by historians and tourists. However, one needs to be careful around the area as no security agents are around the forest.
The Kwiambana ruins were built on and around a granite inselberg with two peaks. They were protected by a ditch and a bank between five and seven meters high, topped by a rubble wall. In areas where the wall passes over bare rock, it is built of mud blocks with loopholes. Around the hillside, there are some low free-stone walls. Within the enclosed area are several well-preserved mud structures, and several level sites where buildings may once have stood. The walls were constructed of natural coursed rubble, with alternating layers of stone and subsoil, and have resisted erosion.
6. Gidan Makama Museum (Kano State)
The Gidan Makama Museum lies in the bustling city of Kano City. The remarkable building has since been transformed into a museum of considerable prestige.
The museum houses an impressive collection of arts, crafts, and historical artefacts that paint a vivid picture of Kano's past. The structure itself, recognized as a National Monument by the Nigerian government, is a 15th-century marvel that echoes the architectural sophistication of the era.
The museum is thoughtfully partitioned into 11 distinct galleries, each offering a glimpse into a unique aspect of Kano's history and culture. From the Zaure or the main entrance hall, adorned with traditional materials and maps of Kano, to galleries that narrate the tales of statehood, the 19th century, the Civil War, economy, industry, and music, every room is a portal to a different time.
Also, the museum's open space doubles as a performance stage for the Koroso dance and drama group, adding a lively dynamic to the historical ambience.
The Museum is now managed by the National Commission of Museums and Monuments. It is a testament to traditional Hausa architecture. While some modern renovations have been made, the original mud walls that typify the period have been preserved.
Also, it exhibits a variety of traditional Kanawa artefacts, pictures, musical instruments, handicrafts, and materials across its 11 galleries. These rooms and courtyards, once inhabited by the old Makamas, showcase the lifestyle of a traditional Kano aristocrat.
The entrance gates of the museum are historical artefacts in themselves, as they display excavated pots from Kofar Kabuga and two colonial cannons.
7. Kanta Museum (Kebbi State)
Kanta Museum, also known as Gidan Nabame, is an old Palace of Kabi Kingdom emirs and Kings, which was built by the 22nd king of the Kabi kingdom in 1831. It was built in 1831, the building was named after Muhammed Kanta, who founded the Kebbi Kingdom in 1515.
It was erected by Yakubu Nabame, a former Emir of Kebbi, and served as the Emir’s palace until 1942 when the British built a new administrative palace during the reign of Muhammed Sani. After the building became vacant, on July 1, 1958, it was opened as a museum, offering an insight into the turbulent history of Kebbi State.
It is divided into eleven compartments and has a notable collection of weapons, spears, swords, wood, stones, bows and arrows, local guns, and drums on display, which serves as a tourist destination in North Western Nigeria.
8. Sultan’s Palace (Sokoto State)
The Palace of the Sultan in Sokoto State is 214 years old. It was built in 1808 by Mohammed Bello, son of Usman Dan Fodio, the founder of the caliphate. It is the residence of the Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual ruler of the Sokoto Caliphate.
The Palace existed right from the time Shehu Usman Dan Fodio ruled between 1804 and 1817 till the present. There has been a great transformation in the Sultan Palace over the years, with evidential intellectual, scientific and technological developments.
The Sultan Palace is a great tourist destination in NorthWestern Nigeria.
9. Goronyo Dam (Sokoto State)
Goronyo Dam is the largest dam under the jurisdiction of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Authority (SRRBDA). It was constructed and completed in May 1984 by Mssrs Impresit Bakolori Nigeria Limited.
It is a key structure for the development of water resources for the middle Rima Valley irrigation project (MRVIP) and Fadama irrigation, which extends from Katsira to the River Mouth at Yalwa- Yauri.
It is a multi-purpose storage Dam designed to store nine hundred and forty-two million cubic meters (942 x 106 m3) of water for irrigation and development of downstream areas from Goronyo to Argungu, covering an area of over seventeen thousand hectares (17,000ha).
The Dam also supplies over eighty thousand million cubic meters (80 x 106 m3) of water annually to Sokoto, Argungu and Birnin-Kebbi water supply schemes which makes it a tourist attraction centre.
Olumo Rock, Idanre Hills, 10 other affordable tourist destinations in Southwest Nigeria
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously wrote about beautiful tourist destinations in Southwest Nigeria.
The tourist destinations include Lekki Conservation Centre, Oòni of Ife Palace, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nike Art Gallery, Ikogosi Warm Springs, and Agodi Gardens.
Each of these tourist destinations has its natural uniqueness, which makes it a constant point of attraction for Tourists.
