| Properties |  |
| Official Abbreviation NG |
| Top Contributors |  |
| Nigeria gets a really bad wrap. Travelers steer clear, the US State Department publishes frequent warnings, the media reports of violence, and even your grandmother has learned that an email from Nigeria is most likely an attempt to scam her out of her life savings. This is all really unfortunate because Nigeria is really cool. It houses a film industry that produces more films per year than Bollywood, it is an artistic cradle that bears such remarkable musicians as Fela Kuti, and according the New Science Magazine, it is home to the happiest people in the world!
Of course there are bad apples in Nigeria... As one Nigerian so aptly put it: "They will rob you, they will cheat you... but you will love it!" Well said, my friend. As a visitor, you will probably leave your heart in Nigeria... try to keep hold of your life savings, though.
To put things in context, Nigeria covers an area of almost one million square kilometers. It is the most populated country in Africa with an incredible 120 million souls (that's a lot of apples). There are as many ethnic groups as there are languages. Maybe because of its diversity, Nigeria also has an extremely complex history that is clearly not explained by a UN index that has marked it the most corrupt government in the world. Nigerians have done a remarkable job unifying their country over the past 60 years. In fact, if you are Nigerian Christian student from the south, chances are that you will be posted for four years out of your comfort zone to a university in the Muslim north. Strategies like these were adopted long ago by the federal government to reduce division. And it worked, since Nigerians are some of the proudest and nationalistic people around.
A good strategy for you as a visitor to Nigeria is to make friends who will take you under their wing once you arrive... alone you may not make it. In fact, the visa application process requires that you are invited by a Nigerian to visit their country. I love the Nigerian visa application process. One practically has to beg and plead to get permission to visit. And this is only because the Nigerian government wants to make it as hard for you to visit Nigeria as it is for Nigerians to visit Europe and America. How do you feel now, punks?!
Your Nigerian hosts will be able to show you the warmth, love of life and generosity of their country in relative safety-- from the dense jungles of the Niger River delta, to the Sahel regions of the North, to the madness of Lagos. Your hosts will also most likely make it their personal mission to show you that Nigeria is not only the greatest country on earth (why live anywhere else?), but also capable of handling their shit pretty well, so to speak. They will debate with you about news stories in the international media wrong (a conspiracy!) You may even be convinced by rounds of drinks on the house, the remarkable network of roads, the universities in every regional capital, and the fact that Nigeria became the first African nation in 2006 to pay back all of their foreign debt. Nigerians love and are proud of their country... you will be too.
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 |  Map and Photos for Nigeria |  |
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| Overall Recommendation: | | 100% |  |
| | Scenery: | | 38% | |
| | Popularity: | | 13% | |
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