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Zungeru: Nigeria’s neglected birthplace

Naija4ever — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:50:28 +0000

Zungeru is a town in the present Niger State and can be said to be the birthplace of Nigeria and many prominent Nigerians. The pact bringing Nigeria into being was signed there and a number of colonial relics scatter all over the town. The first Nigeria’s indigenous Governor-General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu and the incumbent Senate President, David Mark, were all born there, yet the historic community, which ought to be a tourist centre, begs for development. ADELOWO OLADIPO reports.

LITTLE was known about it prior to the advent of the British colonialists who were undoubtedly looking for a conducive place to settle down. With its clement weather and proximity to Kaduna River, Zungeru, a historical town in Niger State where the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria were later amalgamated, easily caught the attention of the colonialists who used the town as their operational base.

The colonialists, some of whom employees of the Royal Niger Company, had combed towns and villages in a place later to be named Nigeria, prospecting for the company. Lord Lugard, the Governor-General of Nigeria between 1914 and 1919, for instance, was in Jebba and Lokoja where he settled down for a while before he later shifted his base to Zungeru, the then emerging trading point in Nigeria.

With the coming of the colonialists, Zungeru, an erstwhile Gwari-Nupe settlement, shot into limelight and drew people from the length and breadth of the country who settled down there. Being an emerging base of a yet-to-be-created nation and the European lifestyle as well as the desire of many to seek a greener pasture outside their towns and villages, people from different parts of the country were motivated to migrate to the town.

Zungeru served as the birthplace of the Nigeria’s first indigenous Governor-General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, the late Biafran leader, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the incumbent Senate President, Senator David Mark and many other Nigerians who later rose to stardom in the country. The town is home to European military cemetery, a colonial market, the amalgamation office, colonial prison, colonial Government House and a bridge built by colonialists as well as many other historical centres.

Sunday Tribune visited the town recently and discovered that Zungeru has been abandoned. All the structures have either collapsed or taken over by the federal highway that passes through the community. However, some of these colonial buildings, though collapsed, still have their foundations intact, except that during the raining season, they are usually overgrown with weeds.

According to Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf, the spokesman of the community, Zungeru has become the shadow of its former self. He said the problem of the town started when late Queen Elizabeth of England instructed Lord Lugard to leave Nigeria for India and Hong Kong with a view to introducing indirect rule in those two countries.

“Thereafter, somebody came to take over from him in Nigeria and the person was Brigadier Thomson Wallace, also of blessed memory. It was this man that complained of harsh weather as well as saying that so many members of the then Armed Forces were falling sick as a result of malaria caused by mosquito bites.

“He was asked to select other suitable places in Nigeria at the period and he chose Kaduna. That was exactly the foundation of what has led to the abandonment of Zungeru till date. Thereafter, Lord Lugard moved to Kaduna, after the completion of his action plan in 1916.”

He stressed that the British military cemetery in the community contained the remains of the first detachment of soldiers of the West African Frontier Force who were buried there, especially those who fought in the World War II. The military cemetery, according to him, consists 50 burial grounds of foreign soldiers and five Nigerians that were buried close to the enclosed cemetery. The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), he said, started in Zungeru.

“We used to have a locomotive engine called Wushishi, now at Minna railway station. We also had a town hall where Lord Lugard used to assemble the community members, which is now a market square in the middle of the town,” Alhaji Yusuf added.

A prominent researcher resident in Zungeru, Malam Mohammed Jibrin, stated that the parents of late Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu worked with the colonial masters for several years as clerks before leaving for Lagos in 1918 after the white men left for Kaduna in 1916.

Malam Jibrin, who took this reporter to the relics of the family compound where late Emeka Ojukwu was born, said even though (he) Emeka and his parents did not come back to Zungeru since they left the town, the fame the family brought to the town and even Nigeria as a whole was enough for the people of the community to identify with him even in death.

“Let us not deceive ourselves; Emeka played an important role in Nigeria and across. I remember him with this simple quotation, ‘How can we be immigrants in our father’s land? We fought to unite, why should we fight again to disunite?’”

He lamented the abandonment of the town, noting that the relics of the colonial buildings in Zungeru ought to have been rebuilt and turned into tourist centres for people within and outside the country.

He said the office where the amalgamation took place in 1914 was still there and not renovated. According to him, “Zungeru is the home of Nigeria, but unfortunately it has been disowned by its own people. The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Lloyd, was here recently. His counterpart from Australia, Ian Mccogvilce, also visited this town to inspect the relics scattered all over Zungeru. Some people from the United Kingdom came back to Zungeru with enthusiasm to inspect the tombs of their grand parents who died during the colonial days in the town. So, you can see the role this town played and can still play as a tourist centre for both Nigerians and foreigners alike if properly developed.”

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Osun Osogbo Festival: Heritage beyond religion and race

Naija4ever — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:36:50 +0000

written by Obinna Emelike

…As state targets 20,000 tourists, N7.5bn by 2015

Ordinarily, tourists to Nigeria will prefer more cosmopolitan destinations such as Abuja, Lagos and Calabar for security, convenience, and accessibility. Against all odds, Osogbo, a medium-sized city in the South Western Nigeria with a population of about 1.5 million people, is attracting even more quality tourists on daily basis.

The global attraction to the city is the annual Osun Oshogbo Festival and its dense forest housing the Osun Sacred Grove, on the outskirt of the city, which is also one of the last remnants of primary high forest in southern Nigeria.
Besides, witnessing a reawakening of the age-long tradition of the Osogbo people and the African cultural heritage at large, the festival this year with the huge and calibre of tourists it attracts is a meeting point for travel and culture.
Tourists and culture buffs travelled all the way from Brazil, America, Germany, Austria, Cuba, Great Britain, China and other European countries to witness the festival. The African Diaspora in their midst were particular about using the festival to reconnect to their roots. Their moods, dances, worships and cheers earnestly yearn for this needed connection as they join the Osogbo people in the communal identity that reflects in the strong bond that exists among the founding fathers of the town and its celebrated cultural heritage. This probably accounts to the improved turn-out of over 5,000 visitors.

The grove, host of the festival and also regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility – Osun, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods, records the highest number of foreign guest this year than in other years. Apart from the traditional worship, the spectacular and breathtaking landscape of the grove and its meandering river dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other Yoruba deities were enough attractions for the guests.
The inscriptions on the works that is part of the development of the movement of new sacred artists pioneered by Suzanne Wenger, an Austrian artist, priestess of the grove, is on its own a chronology of Osogbo spiritual and historical events.

The month-long festival climax with the worshipping of the Osun goddess at the Osun Shrine where the ‘Arugba’- the virgin girl, carries the calabash to the shrine, and Kabiyesi hosts the visitors from near and far to a big feast. Far from the scare about the royal tussle of the Atoja throne, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, the new Atoja of Osogboland had the support of his people and visitors at the event.
However, the town witnesses a surge in business activities within this period. More hotels, restaurants, cab operators are now springing up to relief the service and accommodation problems which most tourists and guests face before now during the festival.

Other places of interest such as art galleries, museums, local textile outfits made fortunes from most foreign tourists who purchase one or two items as evidence of partaking in this year’s Osun Osogbo Festival. Apart from the grove, Nike Gallery and Osogbo Museum were the most visited.
The festival also witnessed government, corporate and private sector presence led by MTN, the title sponsor. President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by Edem Duke, minister of culture, tourism and national orientation, as usual, says culture and tradition were critical to the socio-economic development of the country, and that the place of the private sector in economic development cannot be overemphasised.

For Rauf Aregbesola, governor of Osun State, support and sustenance of the festival is critical to the development of the state because it brings the state to global spotlight and possible investment opportunities, especially in hospitality and infrastructure development. He identifies culture and tourism as sources of employment generation and foreign exchange earners, and reiterates his administration’s commitment to the development of the cultural heritage of the state.
With the infrastructure renewal and new investments in the sector, the governor hopes to increase tourist arrival to the state from 5,000 at the festival this year to 20,000 with target revenue of N7.5 billion by 2015.

The governor explains to the crowd that the festival is an integral part of his administration’s tourism development project, adding: “Unknown to many people, tourism is one of the silent money spinning economic activities. In 2010 it was reported there were over 940 million international tourist arrivals which globally raked in $919 billion.”

The governor explains further, “Our unique selling advantage is in packaging Osun State as the cradle of Yoruba civilisation and our target market is the Yoruba nation at home and the Diaspora. There are estimated 91 million Yoruba people scattered at home and abroad in West Africa, Brazil, United States, The Caribbean, Europe, Venezuela and Colombia. Of these, our target by 2013 is to bring in traffic of 10,000 tourists and rake in N3.5 billion. By 2014, the figure would have jumped to 15,000 and our projected revenue would be N5.6 billion. In 2015, we would have hit the 20,000 mark and attain N7.5 billion in revenue.”

Already, he has created a full fledge Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Home Affairs headed by Sikiru Adetona Ayedun. They are charged with responsibility of turning the face of the state tourism around to a choice destination in Africa and revenue earner especially the 16 historical sites identified in the state.

Stakeholders from the private sector at the festival also express their readiness to partner with government to engender the development of the economy.
However, the commissioner welcomes all visitors-Nigerians and foreigners alike to keep visiting the state even after the festival because there are enough to explore with over 16 historical sites, best of art and craft works, the very hospitable people and a very friendly tourism investment policy that assures on return on investment in the state. Well keep a date with next year’s edition.

The governor says in his address, “This invaluable treasure is one leg of the tripod of development for our state – tourism. The other two legs are agriculture and solid minerals. As you must have noticed, this year’s festival is like no other before it.”

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Idanre Hills: a natural wonder in Nigeria

Naija4ever — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:48:55 +0000

written by Obinna Emelike

Imagine a terrain so high that those at the bottom go about their daily living as if they are in another planet, a setting surrounded by picturesque hills that envelope the inhabitants from incursions and scorching of the sun, while visitors savour a bit of its magnificence and panoramic view from afar.

The terrain is no dreamland or imagery of sort, Idanre Hills is a breathing landscape that also provides a window to the town’s colourful history. From a few kilometres to the town centre, a first time visitor will not cease to marvel at the aesthetics, architecture and thoroughness employed by nature in the assemblage of hills of various shapes and sizes at Idanre, also called ‘Oke Idanre’ by the locals.

The evergreen landscape surrounding the hills provides fellowship with nature’s best. The peacefulness that pervades the atmosphere, the blossoming civilisation that existed on the hills, the rigours of climbing, a refreshing swim in Arun River, all make the Idanre Hills a wonderful place to visit.

If you are adventurous enough, the tallest of the hills rises about 300ft above sea level, challenges you to a climbing game. Those who successfully dare the peak are rewarded with the very rare panoramic view of the topography at bird’s eye, which is a unique fortitude for ancient residents.

However, you need a little background of the people and their protective hills to better appreciate the nature that adorn the Idanre setting. The people of Idanre had existed on the hills for at least 800 years.
Features on the hills lend proof to this assertion as they suggest that the security that the hills provided for the people of Idanre was responsible for their choice of the hills as their home.

There is actually no dull moment at Idanre.
The action starts with the Great 460 Steps. Climbing THE 460 steps to Oke Idanre is truly a physical challenge. But the six resting points will refresh you before taking you to the hill top. But after these steps, a short walk will take one to the ancient town of Idanre – with evidence of a civilisation that long was.

There are mud and concrete houses, the Owa Palace, residents for chiefs and the king’s wives, burial mounds, a cemetery, a prison yard, court rooms, a school and an incubator for prematurely born babies. The people of Idanre left the hills in 1923.

Again, ‘Omi Opaara,’ a narrow stream on one of the hills, is thrill for visitors. Myth has it that the stream gushed out when lightning struck the hills as a result of a bitter feud between two powerful chiefs. Some visitors make effort to drink from the hill water believed to have healing powers.

The excitement takes you further atop of the hills to the Arun River, a small river on the hill. It is believed that a swim in the middle of the river “will result in an eerie, fuzzy feeling.” Arun River is crystal clear and one can see crabs and a few other aquatic animals, and adjudge the water’s friendly depths.

The more adventurous can also dare the Agboogun Footprints, a more difficult track up the hill and atop the hill because it takes a lot of efforts to get these footprints.
he fact that the footprints can size visitors’ legs no matter how big or small makes the footprints magical.

Yet, a tortuous climb will further move you to a plain where you see a carving on one of the hills that looks like an ark. Due to its semblance of an ark, the carving is nicknamed Noah’s Ark.
If you visit during festivals, you will be home to one of the richest African cultural heritages.

In recent times, MARE festival, a sports/tourism initiative courtesy of Motherland Beckons have being attracting global tourists, investors and world mountain climbers converge at the foot of the hill to dare the towering height in a prized-contest.

Apart from the festivals, the flora and fauna of the hills are also unique. There, special specie of tailless animal called Hyrax will surprise you. Monkeys are also sported near Orosun hills.
The hill also serves as home to a group of bats, as the people hold a unique festival of bats every year.

You may also spot a group of scientists and field researchers, especially now that there is effort at enlisting the hill in World Heritage Site.
Why wait to visit this destination that offers visitors so much on a single visit.

Direction
The hill is located in Idanre Town in Ondo State, a 15-20 minutes drive from Akure the state capital. It is about five hours drive from Lagos and about six hours from Abuja. It is better to go on a four-wheel drive, especially during rainy season because the roads are not to smooth.

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Alluring exposure for business travellers

Naija4ever — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:58:10 +0000

The art of travelling has been made easy for those travelling to Africa. Booking an accommodation is no longer a problem, thanks to the power of the internet which enables tour operators bring their services closer to globetrotters. The Protea Hospitality Group has signed agreements with three global travel agencies in the past four months, partnering with Agoda.com, Expedia and Gullivers Travel Associates (GTA).

The agreements mean that Protea Hotels and African Pride Hotels will be listed on the agencies’ associated websites, thereby gaining worldwide exposure for all of their establishments across the African continent.

The websites will allow customers to book accommodation with any of Protea’s hotels online. They will also be able to access information related to the hotel chain.

According to Nicholas Barenblatt, group marketing and advertising manager for Protea, the agreements will bode well for the company’s plan to expand further into Africa. “Africa is our stronghold and so expansion has to be done on the continent,“ he said.

Protea already has a presence in eight African countries including Nigeria, Zambia, Namibia and Uganda and is looking to add Angola, Botswana and Mozambique to that list.

Barenblatt further stated the agreements will provide the group with the opportunity to observe how customers engage with the Protea brand in an online environment. Since consumers are more trusting of online portals these days, their task has been made a little easier.

“The agreements we have reached with such diverse global partners are a clear indication that the local hospitality market is both realising its potential and competing equitably on the world stage alongside more established markets,” said Protea sales director Danny Bryer.

Extending Expedia relationship
The first and biggest agreement of the three took place in November 2010 with Expedia, the world’s largest online travel trade company. Protea Hotels and African Pride Hotels are now listed on more than 90 Expedia travel sites.

According to Protea, the group has achieved 100% growth year-on-year with the previous arrangement, and the benefits of the expended deal are apparent after just three months.

Expedia’s global lodging strategic accounts director Christopher Michau said that the agency is pleased to extend its relationship with the South African hotel group.

“Protea Hotels’ footprint in Africa, coupled with their leadership position in the local hospitality industry, makes them a highly desirable partner for Expedia,”

More than 60-million potential travellers visit Expedia’s websites, which are accessible in more than 60 countries and 33 different languages.

Protea will also benefit from Expedia’s experts who can advise the group on online distribution strategies, merchandising and promotions.

Exposure to leisure and business travellers
The most recent agreement – with GTA – will allow tourists to book accommodation with Protea through GTA travel sites worldwide, which will feature more than 120 of the South African hotel group’s properties across the African continent and offer the agency’s global network of leisure and business travellers a range of hotels in Africa to choose from at competitive prices.

GTA has been providing ground travel products and services to role players in the tourism industry for over 30 years. Over 21 000 bookings are made each day for the agency’s 35 000 listed hotels in more than 130 countries.

Luring Asian travellers
Protea looked to tap into the Asian market by partnering with Asian giants, Agoda.com, in December last year, and now 20 of Protea’s properties are listed on the website. This has also given the company access to Agoda.com’s yield control system propriety software, which allows management to control room inventory, prices, content and promotions.

“This partnership will create more opportunities for Agoda customers to enjoy these popular and unique travel experiences,” said Agoda president Robert Rosenstein.

Some of Protea’s establishments now listed on Agoda include safari lodges at the Kruger National Transfrontier Park and a number of the chic African Pride Hotels in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Steady growth
Now almost 20 years old, the Protea Hotel Group was founded in 1984 with just four properties – two in Cape Town and one each in Johannesburg and on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal – in its portfolio. It didn’t take long before the group was able to offer accommodation for budgets ranging from three to five stars.

Protea is today the largest African hospitality group in terms of numbers of hotels, and operates in eight countries as Protea Hotels and African Pride Hotels, the luxury division of Protea established in 2001. Travellers in South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda are able to choose from over 100 facilities in major cities, game viewing areas, and the countryside.

Besides offering a home away from home, the company is also involved with the community and has made it compulsory for every hotel as well as head and regional offices to have social investment projects. These include a partnership as sponsor with the Reach for a Dream foundation, which helps children with life-threatening illnesses to fulfil special dreams while there’s still time.

Protea also helps in-service trainees with full tuition fees and, said the company, has managed to retain 90% of graduates to date. Protea’s bursary fund is aimed at trainees at other hotel schools around South Africa, and has contributed nearly R2-million (US$290 000) to the cause.

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