Nigeria is a country greatly endowed. It is blessed with warm, sundry climate, over 800 kilometers of fascinating beaches and evergreen vegetation in the South, while in the North, alluring landforms overshadows savannah grasslands. Added to these are the interesting natural features in form of water falls, springs, hills, some mountainous areas with temperate like climate and a range of special and common species of tropical wildlife. These, coupled with wide market opportunities, diverse socio-cultural heritage that gives the nation its uniqueness and the hospitality of the about 120 million people earn Nigeria the sobriquet, GIANT OF AFRICA. It is almost impossible to deny Nigeria its prime of place amongst the richly endowed potential tourist destinations in the world.

There are abundant physical attractions, which include hills, caves, springs, lakes and mountains across the entire country. These fascinating features and alluring scenes are good sites for leisure, adventure and other tourism-related endeavours. Example of these physical attractions are old Oyo National Park, Yankari Games Reserve in Bauchi; Obudu (Protea) Cattle Ranch, in cross River State and the Jos Wildlife Park in Plateau State.

Man-made Attractions are man made sites created for the purpose of relaxation. These include the Rayfield Holiday Resorts in Jos, the Bower’s Tower in Ibadan and various amusement parks that dots the length and breadth of Nigeria’s major towns and cities.

National Parks are special natural ecosystems with unique attributes. They play unquantifiable roles vital to national/regional well-being as well as act as a catalyst for the development of eco-tourism. They also enhance ecological processes and life support systems such as soil regeneration, protection of nutrient cycles, cleansing and purifying hydrological cycles. There are eight such parks in Nigeria.

Yankari National Park is situated within Duguri, Pali and Gwana District of Alkeri local Government Area of Bauchi State. It could be reached by road from Jos Airport through Bauchi State route and from Kano through Jos-Bauchi route. The park has 110 visitors chalets categorised along student/low income hotel, a standard restaurant, conference hall, in-door and out-door sport facilities such as table tennis, squash racket, badminton etc. There are species of large mammals like elephants, harte beasts, hippopotami, lions and about 153 known species of birds, fish, reptiles, and monkeys.

Kainji Lake National Park is closely linked with the famous Kainji lake oil hydroelectric complex. It lies between Borgu and Zugurma sectors of Kwara State. It can be reached through Lokoja, from Lagos through Ibadan, Ilorin and Jebba. The park is full of diverse wildlife, a variety of ethno-historical and cultural sites amongst which are Kobs, antelopes, hippopotami, lions etc. Tourist Facilities in the park are available chalets restaurants, conference hall and a waterbus for lake cruising.

“Traditional Nigerian art has been dated as far back as 2000 years. There are examples of this work in sculpture, paintings, and the most well known masks. Some classic examples of materials used in these ancient artifacts are wood, bronze, and coppers. Fortunately for the modern world pieces can be seen in countless museums around the world. Traditional music and dance can be heard and seen in religious and cultural events throughout the year.

Much of contemporary Nigerian art could be described as some of the finest craftsmanship in the world. For generations artisans have created majestic pieces that reflect the African heritage and are a direct link of the many natural resources found in the region. Some of these sculptures and other forms of art have been made for use in ceremonial rituals and celebrations.It seems that everything that comes from this region is art in one form or another. The elaborate costumes and stunning jewelry are all crafted with excellent workmanship, talent, and patience.Nigerian artists were some of the first in the world to perfect the craft of metal casting.Other forms of Nigerian art are leatherwork and intricate wood carvings.”