Lafia travel guide

Lafia, Nigeria

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Lafia

Introduction

Lafia is a city in Nigeria's North Central region and serves as the capital of Nasarawa State. It is also the headquarters of the Lafia Emirate Council, a role that shapes its standing among the towns of the region.

As the state capital, Lafia is the seat of government administration for Nasarawa State and the largest city in the state, making it the natural base for exploring this part of North Central Nigeria.

Before you go

Lafia sits in Nigeria's middle belt as the capital of Nasarawa State, and it is also known as Lafian Bare-bari or Lafia Garin Madidi. The town was founded in the late 17th century by Muhammadu Dunama on the site of a Koro (Migili) village, and under colonial rule the British recognised Chief Musa as Lafia's first emir in 1903. The emirate formed the major part of the Lafia Division of Benue province, and the town has since passed through a long line of emirs. Its people are mainly Eggon, Alago, Kanuri, Aho and Koro, with large populations of Igbo, Hausa and Mwaghavul settlers among other groups, drawn by the hospitable and peaceful nature of the indigenes, which has made the city a miniature country.

Plan your trip around the weather, which shapes the year here. Lafia is hot and humid with partly cloudy dry seasons and oppressive, overcast wet seasons. The ideal time for hot-weather activities is mid-November through mid-February. The hot season runs from late January to mid-April, with March the hottest month, while a cooler stretch lasts from mid-June to mid-October. Tin and columbite are mined nearby, and there is a deposit of coal southeast of the town.

Getting there

Lafia sits on the trunk railway from Port Harcourt and on the main highway between Makurdi and Jos, so you can arrive by road or by rail. The town's own airport, Nassarawa Cargo Airport, has been under construction, so visitors have generally flown into one of the neighbouring cities instead: Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja, Kaduna Airport in Kaduna State, or Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos, Plateau State. Each of these is a relatively short road transfer from Lafia, with the drive taking roughly an hour and a half by taxi.

By road, you can reach Lafia from cities in Benue, Kogi and Plateau States as well as from Abuja. Many public transport companies run bus shuttles to the town from these cities and from elsewhere in the country, and small-scale transporters also carry travellers in from other parts of Nassarawa State and its environs. Notable operators include Aminu Transport Services, with a bus terminal in New Nyanya, and ABC Transport, with a terminal along Jos Road. The city's railway is connected to the East Line railway axis and served by the main narrow gauge line that begins at Port Harcourt in Rivers State, though travelling by train is less popular than it once was as the country's railway sector struggles.

Getting around

Everyday movement in Lafia runs on shared road transport: commercial motorcycles, tricycles and minibuses are the standard ways to cover short hops across town, with taxi shuttle cabs available as the pricier alternative. There is no metro or tram network to plan around. Taxis can be chartered rather than shared, and because they cost considerably more than the shared modes, agree your fare before setting off. There is no citywide ticket or travel pass covering buses, tricycles and motorcycles together, so budget for each trip separately.

Lafia is a compact administrative and trading city, so short trips on foot between nearby destinations are feasible, but for anything beyond a short stroll expect to use a motorcycle, tricycle, minibus or taxi. The climate shapes when you walk: the hot season brings daily highs well above comfortable levels, with March the hottest month, while the rainy season is overcast and oppressive, so plan longer walks for the cooler parts of the day and carry water. For longer journeys, bus companies and small-scale transporters run services in from Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Abuja and elsewhere in Nasarawa State; Aminu Transport Services has a terminal in New Nyanya and ABC Transport has one along Jos Road, and you generally buy a seat by turning up at the motor park or terminal. Rail exists via the narrow gauge line from Port Harcourt, but treat it as an option on paper rather than a dependable way to arrive or get around, and confirm current service before building plans around it. Lafia's own airport, Nasarawa Cargo Airport, was still under construction as of mid-2021, so most visitors fly into Abuja, Kaduna or Jos and finish the trip by road.

Where to stay

Lafia has a handful of places to stay across the budget categories, so you can usually find something to suit your plans. Budget options include Tino Hotel at Bukan Sidi, opposite the CBN site, which offers basic hotel services at a relatively low price, and Sandaji Chalets on the Jos Road, a low-cost option with regular power and air-conditioned rooms. For something mid-range, Hilcon Royal Hotel sits opposite the Nassarawa Polytechnic and provides basic lodging with adequate car parking and en suite bathrooms, while Global Village Suites on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway offers hospitable service at a quite affordable rate.

At the upper end, Taal Conference Center on Jos Road provides good hotel services in a serene environment, and Goream Hotel on Shendam Road has standout facilities including a large outdoor pool and sufficient parking space. Keep in mind that hotel accommodation in Lafia may be harder to secure during the festive periods, so it is worth arranging your stay ahead of time if you are travelling then.

Food & drink

Lafia's kitchens lean on local staples, so look for Pate, Acha and Tuwo Masara, along with Tuwon Dawa, Tuwo Shinkafa and the well-known Miyan Kuka soup. You can eat cheaply from food hawkers and roadside vendors scattered through town, or settle into one of the upscale restaurants for a fuller meal; either way, homegrown dishes are easy to find alongside foreign ones.

For drinks, Jumokes Place on Makurdi–Jos Road opposite Federal Polytechnic and Villa Roza Lounge on HillCorn St both offer dine-in and takeaway, while Las Vegas Kitchen & Bar in Gandu and 1 Star Wood are good for takeaway.

What to see and do

To get a feel for Lafia, head out to its natural sites. Akiri Warm Spring is a body of water known for its crystal-clear warm water, which is believed to have medicinal powers. Peperuwa Lake is an elongated natural lake that stretches well over seven kilometres in length and about four kilometres across, and it serves as a habitat for aquatic creatures such as fish and water ducks. Eggon Hills and Caves rise above thirty metres and feature rocks shaped like kopjes and inselbergs. For sport, Lafia Stadium on Jos-Makurdi Road is used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Nasarawa United.

For activities, the annual Ox-bow lake fishing festival takes place at the Hunki Ox-Bow Lake. Oku Akpa Rock and Picnic Centre is the city's spot for mountain climbing and hunting.

When to go

Lafia is hot and humid throughout the year, so your timing mostly determines how much heat you'll have to handle. The most intense stretch runs from late January to mid-April, when daily highs climb steadily and peak in March; plan around this period if you can, and expect demanding conditions for outdoor activity if you can't.

The mildest weather arrives from mid-June to mid-October, when average daily highs stay lower than at any other time of year. Don't expect crisp, dry cool, though: the wet season here is oppressive and overcast, bringing heavy cloud and humidity rather than refreshment. The best window for hot-weather activities is mid-November through mid-February, when conditions are hot but fall outside the peak heat that sets in from late January onward, making this the most comfortable period for a visit.

Three days in Lafia

Day one: Start in Lafia itself, the capital of Nasarawa State in North Central Nigeria, and get your bearings in the central town before wandering out to Lafia Garin Madidi. Take time over the Lafia Emirate Council and its place in the story of the Lafian Bare, from Muhammadu Dunama through Chief Musa and the old Lafia Division. As you move around, listen for the city's mix of tongues — Hausa, Eggon, Alago, Kanuri, Koro, Migili, Aho, Igbo and Mwaghavul are all part of daily life here.

Day two: Use Lafia as your base for the wider state, keeping in mind the British colonial thread that runs through the region's history. Plan your travel around the seasons: November through February brings the dry, dusty harmattan, while the rains from around March to October make roads slower, so build in slack. If you are arriving from outside Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport is the long-haul gateway, with Nassarawa Cargo Airport closer to home.

Day three: Look outward along the transport links that tie Lafia to the rest of the country — Makurdi, Jos and Port Harcourt are all reachable by road, and tin has long been part of the wider region's story. Spend your last day revisiting whichever part of the city you liked best, and leave time for the markets and streets where Lafia's many communities meet.

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