a hint of Nigeria

I have long wanted to visit Nigeria, and was delighted to have to take a full part in a three-week work assignment (followed by a one-week regional management meeting) in the country.  Sadly not in Lagos, but at least I got to spend time in Abuja and Maiduguri, plus a couple of visits to communities near to Maiduguri who are benefitting from our projects there.

However, the security situation in the country being as it is, I was under strict instructions from our local security advisor to remain in the hotel during the evenings and weekends - not even a ten-minute walk outside was permitted - so it turned into a very frustrating trip.  I did get to see bits of Abuja through the car window on the daily trip between the hotel and the office, so I saw the rather impressive National Mosque, although couldn't go inside as I would have liked.  & I do have to admit to a bit of editing of this picture - the top part of one of the minarets is copied and pasted from one of the others, as a sticker on the car windscreen blocked the perfect view...

Abuja is not really representative of Nigeria anyway, with its tall buildings, its shopping malls, and its modern streets free of hawkers and street food.  Hard to believe it is as dangerous as our security rep told me, but I have to follow the rules when I travel for work.

So I mostly had to content myself with experiencing the country within the confines of the hotel.  I even tried out the Sunday morning church service in one of the hotel conference rooms, although a room full of people swaying to "The name of Jesus will last forever" type songs from the live band was only bearable for around fifteen minutes (for balance I listened to Islamic prayers in the car on the way to the office).  As for the food in the hotel restaurant, well, a menu full of goats' heads, cows' tails and giant snails - all, sadly, swimming in a pepper sauce that was way too hot for me. Even the vegetarina section of the menu included a dish described as 'assorted meats'.  As a 'mostly' vegetarian who dislikes anything with even a hint of chilli in, I did struggle with the food.  This was served at the morning coffee break during our management meeting: