To experience Nigeria is to dive deep into a diverse sea of rich culture and nature, and espy a profusion of levels both disparate and similar to each other, get to the bottom of that sea and think you've seen it all, only to realize that it isn't an end but an entrance to another vast space. Like peeling an onion apart, layer by layer and continuously uncovering more.

Nigeria is an African country with 36 states and over 500 native languages with English as the official language. I am Igbo, which is a major ethnic group in Nigeria. When I can find pockets of time to run away briefly from the bull ride that is life, I try to visit sublime places in my country, some of which I have outlined below.

Cross River

If you're drawn to bodies of water and nature in general, you will love Cross River state. It took me a while to decide which spot I wanted to highlight and after contemplating, I decided that mentioning just one feels like a betrayal of the entire state. I visited the slave history museum which contains graphic representations, life sized sculptures and even audio recordings of slaves being auctioned and working on plantations. Close by is a resort where you can take a boat ride for a ridiculously low amount of money to a nearby island.

There are a plethora of resorts in Cross River like the Tinapa Resort, Obudu Mountain Resort amongst others. You can also paddle on a canoe to Calabar beach to laze about in the sand. Nigeria has over 700km of spectacular beaches and to see more of them, you can visit the coastal town of Badagry or Lagos State, Nigeria's largest city. Other places in Cross River await you like the Agbokim Waterfalls also called "the seven faced wonder" as a result of the combination of seven waterfalls cascading over the cliffs. Every year, people from all over the world come to attend the Calabar festival, a kaleidoscope of colour and fun.

Olumo Rock

Want to climb man-made stairs carved into colossal granite rocks? Visit Olumo rock. It may be called a rock, but it's actually 137 meters above sea level, lower than the 725 meters high Zuma Rock in Abuja, the Capital of Nigeria. Since the 19th century, Olumo rock has been regarded as a fortress for the people of Egba land who used it as a fortress and hiding place during inter-tribal wars. Olumo means "Trouble and suffering is over”. If you don't want to walk to the top, elevators are available.

I visited it on an excursion with other students in primary school and like almost everything in Nigeria, it is connected to the history of our country. It is located in Abeokuta, Ogun state. Abeokuta means "Under the rock". At Olumo rock, there are multifarious, natural cantilevers, tiny gardens on the rock itself, monuments by the rock’s primeval settlers and when you get to the top, you are rewarded with a panoramic view of the city of Abeokuta. There's a museum and water fountain, as well as restaurants where you can enjoy local dishes.

The National War Museum

My mother is from Umuahia, the capital of Abia state, Nigeria, where this museum is situated. My country was ravaged by a civil war from 1967-1970 after ethno-religious riots in the north, a military coup and countercoup, and the killing of the Igbos residing in Northern Nigeria. As a result, my ethnic group seceded from Nigeria to form a new country called Biafra which did not survive after we lost the war.

The museum is filled with various old, Nigerian and Biafran civil war weapons, armour tanks, planes and a ship. It was put up to remind us about the agony of war. In the picture above, I'm standing on the deck of the ship in the museum compound. My online essay, The Capital of God's Own State gives a more personal account of my visit. When you visit, ask the guides to show you the Ogbunigwe, a weapon created by Biafran scientists from the University of Nigeria where I studied. Ogbunigwemeans “instrument that kills in multitudes.” There's also a 30-foot bunker called Ojukwu's bunker named after Odumegwu Ojukwu, the leader of Biafra.

Bower's Tower

When visiting Bower's Tower which is located in the ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo State, home to another ethnic group - the Yorubas, make sure you wear comfortable shoes because you have to climb a steep hill to get to the tower like I did. You can stand there and see the city spread out before you like you're a giant who has stumbled upon a little town you could pick up in the palm of your hand.

The view may be breathtaking but it's even better when you get to the tower. As I ascended the narrow tower and came out at the top, I didn't feel like a giant anymore. I felt like a dot on a vast sheet of wallpaper. You can go round around the sides of the tower and see the city from any chosen vantage point. You will meet the Yorubas, jolly people with love for parties. They had thrown a huge one at the tower the day I went to visit. You may be lucky to see them in action too.

Ezeagu Waterfall

In Igbo, Enugu means "Top of the hill". There are so many hills scattered around Enugu State that we lose count, hence the name. My father is from this state and it's basically an undulating plateau of relaxation. Ezeagu waterfall is just one of the numerous places to visit. There are others like the Ngwo Pine forest and Nike Lake Resort. The sound of the rapidly rushing water thundering down the cliffs summons you as you get closer to Ezeagu waterfall. I studied in the University of Nigeria located in Enugu state, and a lot of the students regularly organize excursions to the site.

The waterfall is not the only thing you get to experience, it is a half hour drive from the capital and you're treated to nature's exotic beauty on the way. Stunning foliage encircles the waterfall. One of my favourite things to do with friends is to sit like a mermaid on one of the rocks where water doesn't rush down with excess force. There's a natural spring as well as a lake and if your adventurous spirit is strong, you can take on a three kilometer long cave winding with numerous tunnels and chambers.

Arochukwu

Arochukwu is the third largest city in Abia State, Southeastern Nigeria. It means "Arrow of God". It is the home of the feared Oracle of Ibinu Ukpabi which is popularly called long juju, a kilometre-long group of tunnels which served as a supreme Court in the transatlantic slave era. In the olden days, there was a hill of rags assembled from the clothes of the accused and a stream which wound its way outside the tunnels and turned red with blood when the Oracle found the accused guilty.

It is said however, that it was the doing of the priests and at the very end of the tunnels is a beach with waiting boats that took the guilty to Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, to be sold into slavery by the Europeans who later destroyed the shrine. This is the biggest tourist attraction in Arochukwu and though I didn't visit it, I visited a shrine of a water goddess of Arochukwu and the Okoroji House Museum. Arochukwu is one of the abodes of various myths and legends in Nigeria

Okoroji House Museum

Like a road, a piece has to have an end and still, this is simply the beginning - just as the tip of an iceberg inadequately represents the massive bulk underneath, this piece is a whiff of the exhilarative beauty of Nigeria. Do visit when you have a chance!

Blessing Ofia-Inyinya Nwodo is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she merited the award “Best Female Writer 2017”. Her short story “Vaginismus” was featured in Erotic Africa: The Sex Anthology by Brittle Paper and she was nominated for the 2020 Lost Balloon Pushcart Prize. She was awarded the Highly Rated prize in the Nigerian Travel Story competition organized by Travel Next Door in 2016. Her Creative Nonfiction "The Capital of God's Own State" was published in The Common and her essay, “The gendered double standard of adultery in Nigeria'' was published by Women's Media Centre (FBOMB) and she has also been published on Kalahari Review, 100 words Africa, The Rota-Lion Magazine and others.

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