Bauchi State

Bauchi

Pearl of Tourism

state tabs

Yankari Game Reserve

Yankari Game Reserve is a wildlife park located in the south-central part of Bauchi State, which covers an area of about 2,058 square kilometres. It was opened in 1991. The park has several natural warm water springs as well as a wide variety of wildlife such as elephants, baboons, waterbucks, bushbucks, oribi, crocodile, hippopotamus, roan antelope, buffalo and various types of monkeys. Lions have been spotted occasionally as well. Its location in the heartland of the West African savannah makes it a unique place for tourists and holidaymakers to watch wildlife in its natural habitat. Though it is open all year round, the best time to visit the park is between November and May when visitors are likely to see more game as the dense vegetation will have dried out and the animals congregate around the rivers more frequently.
Wikki Warm Springs

These are the naturally warm springs located in Yankari National Park, which flow out from underneath a sheer rock cliff into a wide rock basin floored with white sand, which varies in depth from one to seven feet. The water is so pure that it is bottled and sold, and tens of thousands of gallons flow out every day at a temperature of 75 degrees Celsius.
Marshall Caves

The Marshall Caves are fifty-nine dwellings dug into sandstone escarpments, which were discovered by British historian P.J. Marshall in 1980. The caves feature rock paintings and engravings in various lines, presumably created by their initial inhabitants.
Gidan Madakin

The house and compound known as Gidan Madakin were built in 1860 by Zaria's celebrated master builder Muhammed Durugu, a local genius popularly referred to as ‘Babban Gwani’. Durugu designed many of the palaces of the emirs of Northern Nigeria and was said to have been killed by the Emir of Zazzau after he built his palace for fear that he might build a better one elsewhere. This rare architectural masterpiece is located in Kafin Madaki village in the Ganjuwa LGA and was declared an Ancient Monument on February 16, 1956 by the National Commission on Museums and Monuments.
Rock Paintings

A number of paintings can be found on cave walls in Azare, Dutsen Zane, Dutsen Damisa and Shadawanka. These rock paintings were first discovered in 1959. It is believed that they were done by nomads, although the present local population claim to know nothing about them. The tenth site is in a rock shelter, consists of several red paintings of cows and calves. They were declared Ancient Monuments on August 5, 1964.First Mining Beacon at Tildan Fulani
The beacon was set up by Lt. Colonel Henry William Law on September 19, 1905, along with his assistants R. A. Archibald and S.W. Carpenter, to commemorate the place where the mining of tin first began in Nigeria. It is made of burnt brick and cement and bears the initials of the three men, the name of the mining company (the Niger Company) and the date it was erected. It was declared a National Monument in February 1956 along with the land within a radius of one hundred feet from it
Tomb of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

The tomb of Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria, is located in the city of Bauchi and was declared a national monument on August 29, 1979 by the military administrator of the state at the time, Brigadier Garba Duba. The construction of the tomb and the building enclosing the grave began in 1977 and it was commissioned in July 1979. The tomb also includes a reference library and a mosque.
Festivals

The people of Bauchi State are known for their traditional wrestling (kokowa) and boxing (dambe) skills which even attract participants from the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.The state also hosts the Bauchi State Festival of Arts and Culture (BAFEST). This annual event includes displays of the various traditions of the people of the state, including traditional dances, music, arts, crafts and fashion design, as well as inventions and innovations.Other festivals focus on various dances such as the Kyaro war dance of the Warji ethnic group; the Afizere dance (a traditional dance of the Jarawa people of the Toro LGA); the Takai dance (popular among the Hausa-Fulanis); the Ngat-al-Bajar dance (popular among the people of the Dass LGA); and the Lawurba dance (peculiar to the Sayawa people of the Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro LGAs).Amanya is a naming ceremony festival that takes place among the Badawa people in the Zaki LGA. There is also the Yankari Cultural Festival, which is held annually. The festival, which showcases the rich cultural heritage of the various tribes in the state, is coordinated by the Yankari Holiday Resort and Safari.
Oloibiri Oil Museum

The Oloibiri Oil Museum is in the Ogbia LGA. It commemorates the first time oil was drilled in commercial quantities in Nigeria (in 1956).
Lake Efi Fishing Festival

This is a major festival that takes place at Efi Lake. It is a form of a homecoming for the sons and daughters of the town who use the occasion as means of giving thanks to the river goddess for a bountiful fish harvest. The festival, which is usually celebrated every seven years subject to the pronouncement of the chief priest, involves canoe rides, a boat regatta and a fishing contest. During the festival, visitors are able to purchase fish of various sizes caught in the lake and sold at cheap prices.