The West African countries of Ghana and Nigeria have an
ongoing rivalry between them akin to that of siblings. From football, to
politics, to entertainment, citizens of each country always want to demonstrate
their superiority over the other, howbeit not in a hateful or biased manner. It
is always more bants than facts. There have been several episodes, of ‘social
media wars’ or ‘Twitter Fights’ between citizens of both countries that leaves
us all clutching our stomach with laughter. Through it all though, it is
obvious that it is all love and sport.
In this post, we attempt to give reasons why Nigerians,
despite the rivalry with their Ghanian counterparts, should visit the Gold
Coast. Just like Nigeria, Ghana is rich in history, mineral resources, culture,
tradition and places of interest to see and visit.
Many Nigerians do not even know that in Ghana you have Hausa
and Fulani speaking people like there are in Nigeria.
Cousins
Ghanians are like cousins to Nigerians. Visiting Ghana for a
Nigerian is like visiting your cousins for holiday. There are lots you share in
common, but somehow you all still do things differently. Case in point, the
jollof. When Nigerians visit Ghana there is an air of familiarity about the
place, some lingo and slangs are commonly used, but their pidgin is still very
confusing.
Food
Shitor. Banku. Waakye. Jollof. The list is endless really.
Ghanian cuisine can be a joy to experience and even though the eternal battle
over whose jollof is better still rages on, no Nigerian should visit Ghana
without tasting the jollof. Ghanaian food is actually so popular in Nigeria
that there are bukas and restaurants in Lagos dedicated to selling just
Ghanaian meals. The most popular among them is Ghana High.
Shatta Wale
Shatta Wale is Ghana’s biggest music sensation at the
moment. And only recently he has had a war of words with Nigerian pop artistes
on social media. As long as you are not one to take these things too seriously,
visiting Ghana to see a Shatta Wale show should be on your list of things to
do, at least that way you can see what the hype is about yourself and tell if
he is as great as he says he really is.
Beaches
Ghana is blessed with such an impressive stretch of beach
line. If you are tired of the Elegushi and Oniru beaches of Lagos, switch it up
by exploring the coastline of Labadi and Kobrobite. If you are enthusiastic
about wildlife, visit the Cocoloco beach where you would find turtles and a large
number of river birds. Beach Resorts in Ghana
are beautiful and spending a night or more in one of them would greatly enrich
your Ghana experience. Hospitality in Ghana is amazing with big establishments
and accra hotels offering top notch service to travelers.
We have Calabar Carnival. They have Charle Wote. This annual
street cum art festival does get bigger and better every year with amazing
exhibitions, musical performances, art installations, food, merchandise vendors as well as live music and
dance that goes on well into the night. For anyone who enjoys having a good
time, when in Ghana, Charle Wote is a must attend.
Nigerian Community
There is a perpetually growing Nigerian community in Ghana
and visiting Ghana would definitely feel like home. It wont be long before you
notice the familiar accent of a Nigerian, no matter where he is from back home
and quickly tag them as your brother or your sister. Especially in Ghanian
Universities where many Nigerians turn to as an alternative to schooling in
Europe or right here at home.
Article by Caleb Olorunmaiye.
Contact him via : caleb.maiye@gmail.com