It is that time of year when schools are closed for the long holidays, or what has become known as the summer holidays. Many corporate executives also plan their annual holidays to coincide with the school holidays so that the family can go on a deserved holiday together.
Nigerians are never timid when it comes to adventures. The typical Nigerian will jump on the next plane to a strange land at the drop of a hat. Nigerians remain the most travelled people in Africa. From the Outback to the Far East, you can be sure to find a Nigerian rocking it among the local populace. Nigerians have traditionally travelled or japa to seek economic advancement or for education. But lately, despite the economic hardship, many upper and lower middle-class Nigerians have found solace in holidaying outside the country, even if it is to nearby Togo, Benin Republic, or Cameroon. They just desire a change of scene to get their sanity back and reset their inner drive.
Though Nigerians are widely travelled, and will go wherever catches their fancy, over the past few years, some countries have become favourite spots for holiday seekers. Factors that have tended to make these countries favourites include relative ease of obtaining travel documents, large Nigerian/African communities, business/temporary work opportunities, sporting/cultural events, historic attractions, etc.
Dubai
In recent years, Dubai has tightened the rules on its visa requirements for Nigerian travellers to that country. Despite the stringent requirements now, the country still ranks as the number one holiday spot for Nigerians in the last 10 years, and rightly so. Dubai has held a promise of fun and affordability to Nigerians. Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is essentially a tourism country, and it has some out-of-this-world attractions that continue to entice people from around the world, including Nigeria. The country has gained international attention for its sporting events (it attracts sports personalities in tennis, football, Formula 1, and other sports yearly) and its spectacular properties.
Dubai has arguably the only 7-star rated hotel (Burj Al Arab) in the world. Its free trade zones ensure certain goods are tax-free. This has especially been the attraction for Nigerian traders and eventually holidaymakers, who see an opportunity not only to behold many of the country’s architectural wonders but also to shop for items from clothing to electronics at a bargain in one of its gigantic shopping malls. For an Arab society, Dubai’s social circuit is quite upscale, with several clubs, hotels, and party centres catering to the needs of locals and visitors.
Dubai’s travel requirements used to be fairly easy until the clampdown on Nigerian visitors due to the activities of some unscrupulous Nigerians. One way to get a Dubai visa now, stress-free, is through sponsorship by an authorised body, which may be a travel agency, a hotel, or an airline.
Some other attractions that make Dubai alluring are a tour by seaplane of the entire city of Dubai, from where you can behold a spectacle to leave you speechless – the man-made archipelagoes, the sand dunes, the Burj Al Arab, and many more. One can also visit Hatta Mountain, Hatta, Heritage and Diving Village, where the traditional Dubai setting is being recreated, Bedouin Village, and others.
South Africa
This former apartheid enclave attracts thousands of Nigerians yearly. The tourism potential of this country is huge. Some of the spots that have continued to attract visitors include Robben Island, where the late Nelson Mandela spent much of his 27 years’ incarceration; Mpumalanga, with its ‘Big Five’ (Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo) games reserve, the Kruger National Park; God’s Window, a breathtaking view of canyons, waterfalls, and rock formations; Sabi Sand reserves, and others; Vredefort Dome in Free State Province, said to be the “oldest and largest meteorite impact site in the world”; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, among many other interesting sites. South Africa has eight World Heritage sites, which have continued to attract tourists and holidaymakers in droves.
Nigerians have also thronged to South Africa because of its modern and functioning infrastructure and the opportunities for economic advancement, which the mostly unskilled black South Africans cannot readily take advantage of. From brief visits, some Nigerians often decide to take up residence in the country. Today, there is a growing community of Nigerians in all areas of South African life, from academics, business to entertainment and sports. Some of the well-known Nigerians who make the country their second home include Peterside Idah, a former Super Eagles goalkeeper, musician Glenn Mena, filmmaker Akin Omotoso, and others.
Ghana
Ghana, our West African neighbours, have benefited immensely from heavy traffic from Nigeria over the past couple of years. Nigerians, either for business or leisure, seem to see Ghana as a very bright prospect, and with good reason. The country has one of the most stable and peaceful polities in Africa. To handle the flow of traffic, a number of bus services to Ghana now ply the Lagos-Accra route for those who prefer to go by road. There are more than five bus terminals in Lagos dedicated to the route. Heavyweight transporters such as Cross Country and ABC Transport now ply the route.
As a member of ECOWAS, Nigerians do not need a visa to enter Ghana. A two-week holiday in Ghana will be most pleasurable, free from security worries and volatile currency rates. It has a stable and peaceful atmosphere, with ease of access to many of the interesting places in the country.
One thing going for Ghana is that the country is very stable and peaceful. It has been able to evolve a workable polity over the past 15 years. The effect is that it has allowed the government to focus on improving the country, particularly its infrastructure. Ghana has succeeded in taming some of its infrastructural problems; it has good roads, a functional water board and a constant power supply. Nigerian churches are opening up outreaches in Ghana and Nigerians often organise weddings, conferences and retreats in the country.
Some of the attractions in Ghana include Akosmobo and Volta Lake; the National Museum, Makola Market in Greater Accra; the Fuller waterfalls, Ancient City, and Bui National Park, with its large hippopotamus population, in Brong Ahafo Region; the famous Gold Coast center, Cape Coast, in Central Region with its World Heritage Monuments: Elmina, St Jago and Cape Coast Castles, and many others.
Trinidad & Tobago
This comes as a surprise, but believe it or not this is one country attracting lots of traffic from Nigerians. It is hard to pin down why. Trinidad & Tobago is a southern Caribbean state in Latin America made up of 23 islands, with Trinidad & Tobago the two largest. It is an oil-rich country like Nigeria. Trinidad has a rich history in entertainment; it gave the world calypso, soca (a form of dance music), steelpan (a musical instrument), and limbo (a dance).
Tourism is a growing industry in Trinidad & Tobago, though it is far less popular than the other Caribbean islands like Cayman Islands, Bahamas, and Jamaica, countries that attract millions of tourists annually. The country has a tropical climate, which perhaps suits Nigerian visitors, coming from the tropics themselves. One important attraction in Trinidad & Tobago is its famous pre-Lenten Carnival, in the mode of the Notting Hill Carnival in London or that of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The carnival is held in the capital, Port of Spain, from February to March each year.
Sights to behold in Trinidad & Tobago are the Magnificent Seven, a group of unusual mansions in Queen’s Park Savannah in the capital city area, which includes Whitehall, the prime minister’s office, Hayes Court, which housed the Anglican Bishop, and Roomor, residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop; the Fort King George, built in 1700; and its stretch of beautiful and scenic beaches.
From Ghana, Togo, Dubai, Benin to South Africa, Seychelles, and Trinidad & Tobago, Nigerians appear to be having their money’s worth of quiet rest, entertainment, partying, exploring, fun, and whatever else catches their fancy as they take deserved breaks from the everyday drudgery of work, business, and the country’s endless circle of high stake corporate competition.
