Travel and Places  

Six Popular Picnic Spots In Nigeria

By Michael Bamidele

02 May 2021   |   8:10 am

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Bring out your sunglasses, your picnic blanket, board games and enjoy a picnic with your family and friends. Listed below are some of the best picnic spots in Nigeria. Crushed Rock, Mpape, Abuja Crushed Rock is an abandoned quarry in Mpape, Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The quarry was opened in 1977, just a year…

Image: Jamie Lau

Bring out your sunglasses, your picnic blanket, board games and enjoy a picnic with your family and friends. Listed below are some of the best picnic spots in Nigeria.

Crushed Rock, Mpape, Abuja

Crushed Rock Mpape | Image: BBC

Crushed Rock is an abandoned quarry in Mpape, Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The quarry was opened in 1977, just a year after the decision to relocate Nigeria’s capital to Abuja from Lagos. During the 1980s the quarry provided much of the stone for the construction of the new city. It has been abandoned since at least 2010. The quarry and quarry lake are now a popular tourist and picnic spot. The lake and high cliffs make it an attractive hiking location.

Lekki Conservation Center, Lagos

Lekki Conservation Center | Image: HotelsNG

Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC) is a Natural Resource Conservation in Lekki, Lagos State. The centre was established in 1990 to serve as a biodiversity conservation icon and environment education centre.

The reserve area which covers a land area of 78 hectare is located on Lekki Peninsula, next to the Lekki Lagoon, and near the Lagos Lagoon. It protects the wetlands of the Lekki peninsula which consists of swamp and savannah habitats.

Approaching the reserve, there’s a boulevard of coconut trees which leads to a well laid out car and Visitors Park. It is endowed with an abundance of plant and animal life. Its huge tract of wetlands is set aside for wildlife viewing. Raised walkways enable viewing of animals like monkeys, crocodiles, snakes and various birds. There is also a conservation center and a library.

There’s also a tree house which is a twenty-one meters-high tree platform where one can have a panoramic view of the area.

Jabi Lake, Abuja

Sunset at Jabi Lake | Image: Wikimedia

Jabi Lake is a water body formed from a man-made earth dam that was initially created to provide water to the residents of Abuja. It is about ten minutes drive from the city centre. There is a recreational park beside the lake called the Jabi Park. There is also a shopping mall beside the Lake – Jabi Lake Mall which houses Shoprite and others. If it gets too hot, you can slip into the mall for an ice-cream.

Ngwo Pine Forest & Cave, Enugu

Ngwo Pine Forest & Cave | Image: Wikipedia

The forest was initially planted to combat erosion. Now teeming with thickets of tall pines, the Forest is oft-visited for picnics and other recreational outings. The forest is also home to a limestone cave at the centre, sculpted with a small waterfall by its side that falls into a shallow pool. The Ngwo Pine Forest is also ideal for hiking sports or nature photography.

Lufasi Nature Park, Lagos

Lake Nora, Lufasi Park | Image: Lufasi

Lufasi Nature Park that sits on a 20 hectare pristine Farm-Forest, situated in the heart of highly urbanized Lekki, Lagos Nigeria. Officially launched for full operation in November 2016, Lufasi was created to be an outdoor eco- laboratory for schools, researchers and nature lovers as well as a recreational centre. The Centre provides a meeting point for nature and leisure walk, outdoor sports, field research, school excursions, wildlife rescue & rehabilitation and other activities.

Agodi Park, Oyo

Agodi Park | Image: HotelsNG

Also called Agodi Botanical Gardens, the park which is located in the ancient city of Ibadan, boasts of a water park, zoo, playgrounds, picnic open grounds and a restaurant.