There are many historical places in Nigeria and in this article, we’d be walking you through ten of them.
There is no place without its own history; history, they say, tells us a lot about our roots and is a great reminder of where we come from and who our ancestors are. Although we do not have all of our history documented due to lack of good documentary facilities then and not all the words of our ancestors could be believed because some of them said these stories from their level of perception, in their favour or spoken from a myopic view. These historical places however, serve as evidence to the stories passed down from generations to generations.
Pictures don’t lie, neither does something that is present or could be seen physically. These historical places presented in this article are just not in pictures but also exist and would be a really good avenue if you’re the type that likes to explore and/or want to widen your knowledge about your roots or just for the fun of it.
1. the first storey building in nigeria
This building is one of the popular historical places in Nigeria of visit and excursion of nigerian schools as they bring their students here to learn and see for themselves their history. The First Storey Building in Nigeria is located in Badagry, Lagos. The foundation of the building was laid in 1842 and the house was completed in 1845. This ancient structure was erected by Reverend Henry Townsend of the Church Missionary Society (CMS).
The structure was occupied by Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African C.M.S Bishop when he undertook the translation of the Holy Bible from English to Yoruba. It attracts many visitors every year. The one-storey building has its corrugated iron sheet roof overlooking the marina waterfront. It is the most popular mission house in Badagry because the first sets of missionaries in Nigeria settled at the building. The rooms have six big rooms, four stores, two big sitting rooms, and a safe where precious items are kept.
History also has it that it was a place where returnee slaves lodged. Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a returnee slave lived in one of the rooms of the building. From the outside, the building looks old and frail but the wooden staircase looks as strong as ever. In the upper floor of the building, there is a glass containing the English and Yoruba versions of the bible that was translated by Bishop Ajayi Crowther.
2. olumo rock
Olumo rock, one of the most popular tourist destinations and historical places in Nigeria, is located in the ancient city of Abeokuta – a name which loosely translated to “under the rock”. Abeokuta was originally inhabited by the Egba people who found refuge at the Olumo Rock during inter-tribal wars in the 19th century.
The rock provided sanctuary to the people as well as a vantage point to monitor the enemy’s advance leading to eventual triumph in war. The town of Abeokuta eventually grew as these new settlers spread out from this location.
Climbing the rock could be challenging and strenuous most especially for the older tourists. The elevator helps but the best part is the view of the city as you rise to the top. The installation of the elevator has helped attract more visitors to Olumo Rock.
3. ogbunike caves
Ogbunike Caves is another one of the best historical places in Nigeria, it is located in Ogbunike Anambra State, it’s a collection of caves that have been in use for centuries by the natives of the village. To them, it has spiritual and historical significance. Visitors must remove their shoes before entering the caves, as per tradition and women who are having their monthly cycle cannot go in.
It also serves as a tourist attraction. There are 317 steps to descend to the caves. The main cave consists of a massive structure with a big open chamber at the entrance. This chamber has ten tunnels leading to different directions. Ogbunike Caves is a UNESCO Heritage Site.
The main cave consists of a massive structure with a big open chamber of about 5m high, 10m wide and 30m long at the entrance. There are ten tunnels at the main chamber leading to different directions. Within the tunnels are big chambers and other tunnels of varying lengths, some of which are interconnected. The caves are occupied by a large colony of bats of various sizes. There are streams and body of water at various places.
4. Awhum Waterfalls And Cave, Enugu
Awhum Waterfalls, one of the best historical places in Nigeria is situated at Amaugwe village of Awhum town in Udi Local Government Area. This beautiful Awhum Waterfalls is a result of a massive outcrop of granite rock with water cascading over the top forming a stream. A section of the waterfall is always warm through the season.
Awhum Waterfalls is 30 metres high and is located close to Awhum Monastery.
The water is said to be curative (have healing power) and capable of dispelling evil or satanic forces if and wherever sprinkled. The community itself also boasts of numerous pristine lakes, some of them with beautiful white sand beaches. The numerous streams and lakes are still maintained in their natural conditions. More than 50 different species of fish are found in the streams and lakes of the community and some of the lakes have never been fished on before.
5. idanre hills
Idanre hills is another one of the historical places in Nigeria. The hills of Idanre are found in Ondo State. The hills are about 680 steps from the bottom to the peak and have mysterious handwritings etched into the rock, which have never been decoded. On the hill also is a magical footprint that fits any foot put in it. The town of Idanre has other historical sites, including the building of the first primary school built in 1896 which still stands, also a law court and adjoining prison built in 1906 by colonialists. Its wide variety of cultural sites as ‘Owa’s Palace’, shrines, The Old Court, Belfry, Agbooogun footprint, thunder water and burial grounds have since brought the location fame and the nation’s nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage Site shortlist.
The Idanre hill was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in October 2007.
6. the kano city walls
(Hausa: Kofar Na’isa). Construction of this popular tourist site located on the south of the Sahara was kicked off during the reign of Sarki Gijimasu between 1095 and 1134 and completed during the reign of Zamnagawa to protect the inhabitants of Kano City. Though most parts of the walls are in a sorry state today, it serves as a significant landmark on the northern part of Nigeria. The Ancient Kano City Walls were described as “‘the most impressive monument in West Africa”.
The gates are as old as the walls and were used to control movement of people in and out of the city. Though, most of them are largely in ruins. It is no doubt one of the most ancient and historical places in Nigeria.
7. osun-osogbo sacred groves
The sacred groves of Osun, the goddess of fertility and one of the most popular deities in Yorubaland, are located on the outskirts of Osogbo, which is about 230 kilometres from Lagos. The groves, which are dotted by shrines, sculptures, and artworks, represent a time when people dedicated areas outside their settlements to deities, areas which are regarded as sacred. The Osun-Osogbo grove itself is located in a dense forest that is one of the primary high forest in southern Nigeria. History is not complete without this place as one of the best historical places in Nigeria.
8. tafawa balewa square (tBS)
Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), located in Lagos State, is a ceremonial ground constructed in 1972 and one of the fanciest historical places in Nigeria. The entrance to the square has gigantic sculptures of four white horses above the gate and seven red eagles, which signify Strength and Dignity respectively. Other monuments in the square include the Remembrance Arcade (with memorials to World War I, World War II and Nigerian civil war victims) and the 26-storey Independence House, built in 1963 which was for a long time, the tallest building in Nigeria. It has a capacity of 50,000 people and is used for different functions and Tafawa Balewa Square was where Nigeria celebrated its independence on 1 October 1960.
9. Erin-Ijesha/Olumirin Waterfall
It is said that Erin-Ijesha waterfalls was first discovered in 1140 AD and was called Olumirin, which means “another deity,” because it seemed it had the appearance of a mysterious figure.
It was discovered in 1140 AD by Akinla, a granddaughter of Oduduwa when the people of Ife were migrating to Erin-Ijesha. Akinla was also known to have founded the Erin-Ijesha town. Olumirin waterfall is one of the most visited tourist sites in Nigeria. It attracted over 50,000 visitors in 2014, making it the most visited tourist attraction that year. The natives regard the waterfall as a sacred site and a means of purifying their souls.
10. the walls of benin (benin moats)
A combination of ramparts and moats, called Iya in the local language, the wall was used as a defence of the defunct Kingdom of Benin, which is present-day Benin City. The Guinness Book of World Records (1974) describes the walls of Benin City as the world’s second largest man-made structure after China’s Great Wall. The walls were ravaged by the British in 1897 during what has come to be called the punitive expedition. Scattered pieces of the structure remain in Edo as some of it is being used by the locals for building purposes.
If you had a nice time reading this article and want more on Nigerian history, then check out this article on Top 8 biggest festivals in Hausa Land
Read Also: Top 8 Biggest Festivals In Yoruba Land