Jos Wildlife Park

Understand

Jos is inhabited by various ethnic groups and chiefs, of whom are indigenous Afizere, Berom, Anaguta, Bugi, Mwagwavul, Angas, Tarok and many more from other areas of Nigeria, such as Yoruba and Igbo, Hausa and many southerners displaced from other northern cities in the aftermath of religious violence. The most widely spoken language is Hausa, and because of the high literacy rate in Jos, almost everyone also speaks English.

Jos is an old city, one of the first built in Nigeria during colonial rule. Jos has always been the home of many cultures. Because of its old structure, Jos has been a very hard place for the government to renovate. Although places like Rayfield and other new settlements have the feeling of living in a developed city, its oldest sites and tourist locations most certainly are very outdated. The Berom are one of the three largest groups in the city and environs. According to the locals, the prominent people in the Lamingo district are the Afizere also called by the Hausa exonym, Jarawa. The language of the Berom is Berom (the largest Plateau language spoken in Nigeria) and that of the Afizere is called Izere, with the third group being the Irigwe who speak Rigwe; however, the dominant language spoken across the city is Hausa. Some of the common names you hear around the Berom speaking areas are Jang, Pam, Dung, Dalyop; names you would hear in the Izere speaking areas are Azi, Izang, Arin, Itse, Aware for males and Adar, Agyer, Atong, Kushim for females. Lamingo occupies an expanse of land - high lands and lowlands inclusive. Flat terrain of rocks seen in isolation and in groups bound this area.

Climate

In Jos, the dry season is hot and partially cloudy, while the rainy season is warm, humid, and cloudy. The average annual temperature fluctuates between 53°F and 92°F; it is seldom lower or higher than 48°F or 97°F. The average daily maximum temperature during the 2.5-month hot season, which runs from February 11 to April 27, is above 88°F. A

Getting there

Jos is served by many bus lines, chiefly Cross Country that runs air-conditioned mini-van services from Lagos and Abuja. The state government-owned Plateau Line runs station wagon services, but these are mostly uncomfortably crowded trips. Many other state governments operate transport services with termini in various Jos motor-parks from surrounding state capitals: Gombe, Lafia, Kaduna, Damaturu and even Yola. Other mini-bus or car services are private arrangements where you sit and wait for the vehicle to fill up, but are best avoided because the drivers tend to have dubious driving skills. You can also get into Jos by having a private driver in a private vehicle; because of terrorist acts, you may pass through a lot of security check points.

By plane 1 Yakubu Gowon Airport (JOS IATA). Arik Air runs a once a day domestic flight from Lagos to Jos. The airport is about 30 km from the town so it is best to have some money for a taxi fare to town (generally about ₦2,500) if there will be nobody waiting for you. (updated Jan 2023)

By train The old locomotive trains famed in Cyprian Ekwensi's The Passport of Mallam Ilia no longer bring the people in and the tin out.

Getting around

There are many taxi cabs, and other transport vehicles all over Jos, such as motorcycles, tricycles and buses. But they have to be shared with other passengers over defined routes. it is also possible to get a private taxi where you share with no one at all, but it is much safer to bear the inconvenience of travelling with others, to avoid getting robbed. Some mini-bus routes are also defined but these are difficult to understand. The taxis and buses almost always tend to be rickety. Motorcycle taxis, commonly known as 'okada' are also a choice but these can be very dangerous as the road network is filled with a lot of potholes and there is a general lack of safe practices. The "okada" rides also tend to be more expensive than the 'Tricycle' or bus rides but are very flexible. Various roads lead to Lamingo depending on where one is coming from. From the University of Jos (main campus/permanent site), you could get a small bus, a motor cycle or a tricycle to Lamingo. Generally speaking, you can get to Lamingo from any destination within Jos with an average of about ₦10,000. You will always find a bus, a tricycle or a bike.

See

There are many parks you can see in Jos, examples are the wild life park, and the national museum. The old tin mines are all on the outskirts of Jos. They have developed into lakes which might have some environmental concerns. The areas are generally safe but it is best to go with a guide. There are many waterfalls on the outskirts of Jos.

1 Jos National Museum, 1 Museum St, ☏ +234 806 380 9560, [email protected]. It was recognized as one of the best in the country. It has been left to fall to ruin, however. The Pottery Hall is also a part of the museum that has an exceptional collection of finely crafted pottery from all over Nigeria and boasts some fine specimens of Nok terracotta heads and artifacts dating from 500 BCE to 200 CE. It incorporates the Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture with life-size replicas of a variety of buildings, from the walls of Kano and the Mosque at Zaria to a Tiv village. Articles of interest from colonial times relating to the railway and tin mining can also be found on display. The Jos Museum is also located beside the zoo. 2 Gbong Gwom Jos' palace, Tudun Wada Road, Jishe, Jos, ☏ +234 906 000 6856. Palace of the paramount ruler of Jos. (updated Feb 2023) 3 Mees Palace, ☏ +234 906 649 1385. 8AM-10PM. Mees palace is multipurpose centre; it has a children's park, eatery, event centre and a cinema. A nice place to hang out with the family. (updated Jun 2021) 4 Jos Museum and Zoo, 1 Museum St, ☏ +234 816 061 4742. 9AM-5PM. The museum houses artefacts and old cars. Lots of historical items from all over the country. A nice place to savour the arts, crafts and history. There are shops selling traditional art. (updated Jun 2021) The National Identity Management Commission office: A beautiful building on the Lamingo road. 5 Lamingo Dam. According to locals, the dam is a result of mining activities in the area. Jos is known for its mineral resources, especially tin. Local miners set out to construct wells deep into the ground in se

Do

1 Shere hills. A prominent site for tourist attraction is the Shere Hills. The hills occupy the size of an average community. It spreads from somewhere in Lamingo into the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos, a bus journey of about 30 minutes. It will interest you to know that some these hills are in the form of caves. Walking up into the "community" of the hills from the lamingo entrance, you will notice a change in landscape even before approaching the hills. As you move in, you see a variety of isolated rocks, tall, short and all forms of shapes and sizes. A very beautiful part of the hiking experience would be where you have to climb down into what seems like a lion's de