ktravula – a travelogue!

Abuja National Mosque

Here is one of the monument to religiosity, a crucial an often inseparable aspect of the Nigerian personality – The Abuja National Mosque. A few metres away from the siting of this is the National Ecumenical Centre where Christian events of national significance is held. The amount needed to build this mosque would definitely run into millions of dollars, but it adds some beauty to the landscape of the city, hopefully to the mind and character of the people who worship there as well.

The auspicious site of the mosque and its sheer size makes it a landmark not to be easily missed. I compare it to the Washington Monument, thinking of how the obelisk guided me to itself through the labyrinth of Washington DC in December. Well, get to Abuja, anywhere from Zone 10 to Wuse Zone 3, you could probably find your way to the mosque on foot if you wanted to. I did, and I was rewarded.

Abuja National Mosque was published on July 16th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , under the adventures, Art, Observations category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Footloose in Kaduna

Here is the deal: I’m not lost, but I have not yet informed my hosts that I have arrived in this town. I am discovering the city by myself. A chance meeting with a stranger at the bus park has got me far into town and here I am in the lobby of a famous hotel tapping out my thoughts to the world. I’ve seen the palace of the Emir of Zazau. There should be other things nearby to see, beside the barbecue of suya on sticks enticing me from across the road.

A few things have happened since the last time I blogged. I have been to Abuja. Yes, the famous capital city. I have visited the National Assembly and the National Mosque. I even went to Aso Rock. Truly. It all happened last night, like a dream. A few years ago, under military rule, all the places I visited last night might have been off limits. But here we are in a democratic government, perhaps with a little too much liberty. (Personally, I think the National Assembly Complex should be guarded a little more. We don’t want to have someone place an explosive device there in the dark of night, and still be saluted “Sir” on his way in and out.)

What else, the National Mosque is a very magnificent structure that make for good photography. It is somewhere to sit and contemplate, free from the bustle of the big city. And the city really is big. Sorry Lagos, you lost the battle a long time ago. Abuja is also a city of contrasts, like every big city. On one side are sprawling landscapes of wealth, and on another side of town are huts and small houses for the “ordinary people”. But don’t let that tag fool you. An apartment for rent even in those low cost areas cost a fortune compared to other parts of the country.

I have not had my fill of that capital city, but I am at least out of there, thank goodness. As soon as I’m done devouring Kaduna, I’ll see what else these parts can offer to the footloose traveller.

PS: This town is like Ibadan all over again. Or is it just me? I’ll put up photos as soon as Starcomms allows.

Footloose in Kaduna was published on July 15th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the adventures, Observations, Travelling category. There are currently 3 comments on this article so far.

South to North Notes

The railway track from Lagos reaches Ibadan, Abeokuta and then head up north towards Zaria, Jos and Maiduguri, and the very first proposals on this trip was to have gone via railway. How nice that could have been, except that it would have taken days if not weeks to commute between even almost neighbouring towns. At least, it could have been a good chance to see more of the countryside as one ascends up the country.

So here I am in Ilorin, a sorta border town between the North and the South. But don’t take my word for it. Most residents of this town know for sure that politically and geographically, Ilorin belongs to the North. There is a very long and bloody history behind this conclusion. Don’t ask me. One thing for sure is that everyone here speaks Yoruba, and perhaps Hausa as well, among other languages. The state’s motto is “The Land of Harmony”, perhaps a play on the diversity it embodies.

The towns of Ekiti that lay in-between the journey from Ile-Ife to Ilorin are interspersed between rocks and hills. It is also a land of diverse tongues. The Akoko area of Ondo and Ekiti States is one of the most linguistically diverse places in Nigeria. Many of the languages there are endangered or under some sort of threat from globalization, and the influence of Yoruba, thus the influx of linguists from all over the world to study and document those languages. I have worked with at least three of such linguists, doing fieldworks in villages in the Akoko Area, some from the School of Oriental and African Studies, in the UK, and a few from SIUE itself. Has anyone heard of a language called Ayere or Uwu?

So, Kaduna is the ideal next stop, and it is six hours away from here by car. That is not the problem however. The problem is where I intend to sleep when I get there. This, of course, could also be the most exciting part of the trip. Now imagine me in jeans and a ktravula t-shirt, with a backpack and dark specs walking up to the gate of the government house and requesting to meet with the Governor in person. “Yes sir. I am a Nigerian Fulbrighter from the United States on a short trip around my country. I need a place to lay my head just for a few days while I check out your state and I have come to you, being the chief executive of the state. I’m all yours. What say you?”

Now, that would be an adventure.

South to North Notes was published on July 12th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , , , under the Academic, adventures category. There are currently 5 comments on this article so far.

Ilorin National Museum

I was at the Ilorin National Museum over the weekend in company of a few friends one of whom had just happened to be in the town by chance.

One peculiar characteristics of this museum is that it is housed in the same compound as a bar, eating joint, and a hairdressing salon. The signboard at the junction close to the museum itself had the name of the museum written in equally small letters as the other services offered in the premises.

It’s not altogether a bad thing. On the one hand, the presence of a bar might actually be a better attraction to the building than the content of the museum itself. From the patronage of the bar, it was clear that there is some complementarity at work there. The museum was closed because it was a Saturday and we couldn’t get to see the contents.

Ilorin National Museum was published on July 12th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Art, Travelling category. There are currently 1 comment on this article so far.

The Many Ekitis

On the way from the town of Ikare to the town of Ilorin are very many Ekiti towns. Here are just the few of them: Omuo, Ilasa, Odo Ayedun, Esun, Ikole, Osun, Itapa, Ilupeju. Oye, Ifaki, Ayede, Imojo, Oloje, Ilafon, Isan, Iludun, Obada, Iye, Ijesamodu, Ikun, Otun, and Ado Ekiti, the capital. I remember also Igbara-Oke, Igbara-Odo, Ilawe, Igede, Aramoko, Ijero, Ire, Ikere, among others from my childhood travels. How many more do you know?

I just found out that there is another Ekiti town within Kwara State. Just how many Ekitis are out there anyway?

The Many Ekitis was published on July 11th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Uncategorized category. There are currently 5 comments on this article so far.