5 wonderful places to visit in Nigeria other than Lagos or Abuja

Lagos and Abuja are two places that usually come up whenever Nigeria is mentioned. One reason for this could be that they have one thing in common - being the official seat of government.

Lagos state used to be the country's capital. It was moved to Abuja on December 12, 1991. Outside the former and current capital, this West African nation has some of the most amazing places the world has to offer.

They include Calabar in Cross River state, Yankari in Bauchi State and Osogbo, Osun State.

Here are 5 wonderful places to visit in Nigeria apart from Lagos or Abuja:

Yankari National Park, Bauchi State

This incredibly relaxing spot offers you the chance to see Zebras, chatty baboons, dancing hippos, baby elephants and other species of wildlife. Birdwatching is highly recommended.

Zebras at Yankari Game Reserve ece-auto-gen

You also get to explore the Marshall cave systems and Wikki warm springs.

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The Sacred Grove, Osogbo in Osun State

Inside the Sacred Grove - a large area of rainforest - is the beautiful Shrine of Oshuno, the River Goddess.

Osun Osogbo Sacred groves [Sassy Funke] Pulse Nigeria

There are also many stunning sculptures by Suzanne Wenger (known locally as Aduni Olosa, the 'Adored One'), an Austrian painter and sculptor who came here in the 1950s. This is apart from the natural beauty around you.

Mambila Plateau, Taraba state

"Nature's gift to the Nation" has the Chappal Waddi mountain, which is considered to be the highest point in the country with an average height of about 2,419 metres (7,936 ft) above sea level.

A woman picks tea leaves at a plantation Reuters

Other tourism attraction sites include a magnificent waterfall, the famous Ndumyaji Cave, the world's second largest tea plantation and natural forests.

The Mandara Mountains, Adamawa state

Located in the northeastern part of the state along the Cameroon border is an ideal place for rock climbing.

Apart from the mountains, there is also the Lamurde hot spring which is part of the world popular Sukur Cultural Landscape. This became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.