The destruction of cultural and historical tourist attraction sites is a common phenomenon in different countries. These sites are destroyed by man-made activities, global warming, and natural disasters. Some of these tourist places are on the brink of being wiped off or disappear forever. The result is a threat to endangering historical knowledge and habitats of thousands of species of animals and plants all groomed to survive in a constant environment that is beginning to shift. The 5 destinations below are in dire need of salvation in Nigeria. Count yourself lucky enough to visit any one of these magnificent places before they disappear.
Sungbo Eredo
Sungbo’s Eredo is a system of walls and ditches that surrounds the Yoruba town of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun state southwest Nigeria (6°49’N, 3°56’E). It is believed to be the largest single pre-colonial monument in Africa. The 6500 kilometers square cluster of communal earthworks runs for about 16,000 kilometers in the Yoruba rainforest zone. Traditional lore links its construction to the legendary Sungbo, a prosperous childless widow, priestess, Queen of Sheba, to whose grove and magically bare grave draws many pilgrims to date. A 20 m thick section of the wall can be seen near the Epe roads. It has near-vertical ditch sides with a slight overhang.
Benin Moat
Benin moat adopts the similar earthwork technique of Sungbo Eredo, portraying a later stage of socio-political advancement in an adjacent culture. The Walls of Benin was originally built as city protection against neighboring foes such as the Oyo Kingdom, and the Sokoto Caliphate.
The Benin City Walls were ravaged by the British in 1897. Since then, sections of the walls have gradually disappeared and further shrunk due to modernization.
Ancient Kano City Wall
Ancient Kano City Wall is a 14km radius earth structure. It was built between 1095 and 1134 by Sakri Gijimasu and completed in the 14th century. The city wall tells the story of Kano in a nutshell.
The solid wall was constructed using mud and an ancient technique to fortify the city. The gates are as old as the wall and were used to control the movement of people in and out of the city. Though most part of the wall is largely in ruin, the ancient Kano city wall is a cultural landscape that the people still pride themselves in. The site can be likened with other sites like the Zaria city wall and Daura City wall all in the northern part of the country.
Kwiambana Ruins
Kwiambana is a ruined settlement, the now Kwiambana Forest Reserve. It was built on a twin-peaked granite mountain. The well-preserved mud structures are enclosed by a five to seven-meter high bank and ditch, which becomes a mud-block wall with loopholes where the circular town wall passes over bare rock and is a natural coursed rubble wall along with many other sections.
There are some low free-stone walls surrounding the steep hillside and numerous level sites where houses may have been built.
Oban Hills
The Oban Hills rainforest lies in the southern section of the Cross River National Park and adjoins the Korup National Park in Western Cameroon. The steep-side hills are covered in the ancient rainforest and serve as a crucial link between two sections of the Oban Hills.
These monuments and tourist attraction sites have been left to deteriorate and, someday, they might just cease to exist.
