Jalingo travel guide

Jalingo, Nigeria

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Jalingo

Introduction

Jalingo is the capital of Taraba State in north-eastern Nigeria, a city whose name comes from Fulfulde. It has drawn migrants from elsewhere in the country and beyond, with arrivals mainly from Kano, Borno and Gombe as well as neighbouring Cameroon, which gives the city a mixed and steadily growing character.

The Jalingo local government area is made up of ten wards: Abbare Yelwa, Barade, Kachalla Sembe, Kona, Majidadi, Mayo Goi, Sarkin Dawaki, Sintali, Turaki ‘A’ and Turaki ‘B’. These wards are the practical frame for getting to know the city, so use them when you plan where to stay and what to explore.

Before you go

Jalingo takes its name from a phrase meaning "superior place", and it sits in the savanna-covered foothills of the Shebshi Mountains, roughly 40 km southeast of the Benue River. The city became the capital of Taraba State in 1991, after the former Gongola State was split into Adamawa and Taraba. It is largely dominated by Fulani people alongside other, smaller ethnic groups, and it shares borders with Bauchi and Gombe states to the north, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau to the west, and Adamawa and Cameroon to the east and south.

The climate is tropical savanna, and the heat during the dry season is intense. If you are sensitive to extreme weather, plan your trip for the months between May and September, when conditions are at their coolest and most favourable for travelling around the city.

Getting there

Jalingo is served by Danbaba Danfulani Suntai Airport, also known as Jalingo Airport, which was upgraded and can be reached directly by a number of local airlines from different parts of the country. If you prefer to arrive overland, the city is closely linked by road to neighbouring cities and states including Gombe, Yola and Bauchi, and numerous road transport companies run shuttle services from these towns and from other parts of the country.

Getting around

Getting around Jalingo is almost entirely a matter of road transport. There is no metro, tram or urban rail network, so plan on minibuses, tricycles, taxis or commercial motorcycles, known locally as Achaba. Minibuses suit longer hops across the city, while tricycles and Achaba are best for short, direct trips and for places minibuses may not serve directly. Taxis run point-to-point trips, and several smaller transporter providers also move people between different parts of the city. The Benue River runs into Jalingo and offers river transport as a secondary option, but the road is the mainstay of movement. Walking works for short, local trips only; for anything longer, use one of the road-based modes.

Agree your fare before setting off, as is customary with this kind of transport, and carry small change since intra-city fares start at a modest amount. If you arrive overland by long-distance bus, ask for the parks of Waidun Ahadun Transport Company at No. 18 Majidadi Road, or Mallam Mohammed Transport Services on Millionaire Street in the Government Reserved Area. Jalingo Airport, also called Danbaba Danfulani Suntai Airport (ICAO: DNJA), is served by local airlines from different parts of the country; from there you continue into the city by road using a taxi, tricycle, motorcycle or minibus.

Where to stay

Jalingo's hotels cluster around a handful of named properties, and your choice will mostly come down to how much you want on site. Fast Track Hotel, on Nyamu Sala Street behind the Muslim Council, is a simple two-star option with free parking and a bar/lounge; note that there is no Wi-Fi, meals cost extra, and bathrooms and toilets are shared. Shield Hotel is a three-star with considerably more facilities, including an elevator, gift shop, event hall, business centre, swimming pool, golf course, beauty salon and ATM.

Food & drink

Jalingo's eating places are mostly casual spots where you can dine in, take away or arrange delivery. Nature's Own Restaurant serves African dishes only, while A.I.M, Golden Menu Restaurant, Cuisines Dè Lush and New System Cuisine all offer dine-in, takeaway and delivery. Ostrich Bakery on Barde Way is a fast food restaurant with the same three options, and Celehany's Kitchen on Barde Way, beside the PDP Secretariats, stays open around the clock and lets you enjoy the view while you eat in. For barbecue, head to The HangOut near the FGGC Junction; it is less crowded later in the evening if you want to enjoy the setting.

To drink, look for the northern favourites. Kunu, also called kununzaki, is made from grains such as millet, sorghum and maize — milky light-brown when made from sorghum, whitish from millet or maize. Kunun gyada, or groundnut milk, is a light porridge of raw groundnuts and rice, similar to the akamu, pap or ogi eaten in the southwest. Zobo is a bright red drink made from dried Roselle plant flowers boiled with ginger and pineapple, usually taken cold and sometimes sweetened to taste. Fura da nono combines millet dough balls with cow's milk or yoghurt, with sugar added to taste.

What to see and do

Jalingo itself has a handful of places worth your time, and several of its most notable attractions sit just beyond the city limits. Within reach you'll find the Mambilla Plateau, the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, the Marmara Crocodile Pond in Wukari, and the JH3 Water Fall (Baraya's Valley) at Mallam Audu in Yorro LGA. Tashan Lau Park is a theme park with a serene ambience, clean air and plenty to keep a visitor occupied.

Time your visit around the Asamu Festival, held every year in Kona-Jalingo Local Government Area, to see the city at its most celebratory.

When to go

Jalingo has a tropical savanna climate, and temperatures stay high throughout the year. The heat peaks during the dry season, when conditions are usually at their most intense, so if you struggle with extreme heat you are better off avoiding that stretch of the calendar.

The coolest and most favourable weather falls between May and September, when the heat eases. This is the recommended window for visitors, especially anyone sensitive to extreme temperatures, and the best time to plan your trip around the city.

Three days in Jalingo

Day one: Start in central Jalingo and get your bearings in the neighbourhoods that make up the city, including Abbare Yelwa, Barade, Kachalla Sembe, Kona, Majidadi, Mayo Goi, Sarkin Dawaki, Sintali and Turaki. As you move between them you will hear Fulfulde spoken alongside other languages, a reminder that this is a city in Taraba State with deep Fulani roots. Keep the day unhurried and let the character of each quarter set your pace.

Day two: Look beyond the streets toward the landscape that frames the city. The Shebshi Mountains rise in the distance and the Benue River runs through the wider region, giving you a sense of the terrain that has shaped settlement here. Use the day to understand how Jalingo sits within Taraba and how the state connects to neighbours such as Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Gombe, Borno and Kano, with Cameroon beyond the border.

Day three: Plan your onward movement. Danbaba Danfulani Suntai Airport, also known as Jalingo Airport, links the city by air, while road connections run toward Yola and other centres; Waidun Ahadun Transport Company is one option for road travel. If your visit falls in the wetter months around May and September, allow extra time for journeys. Close your stay by revisiting the neighbourhood that appealed to you most.

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