Lagos is one of the most populous states in Nigeria despite its lower landmass compared to other states within the same country. In order words, it is the state with the highest number of humans per unit area of land - population density.
Lagos is also a coastal city with two unique geographical areas - Lagos mainland and Lagos Island. From the definition of an Island as a piece of land surrounded by water, one can already have a feel of what Lagos Island looks like - all about water.
Apart from the geographical distinction, Lagos Island and mainland also differ in terms of the class of people that resides therein. While the former is all about the buff rich folks, the latter is characteristically meant for the typical Lagos hustlers - the lower to the middle-class people.
Thus, apart from the fact that lands are generally expensive in Lagos, they are more than 10 times as expensive on the Island. Within this very expensive suburb built on water lies a nature conservation center - the Lekki Nature Conservation Center.
From the word 'nature' and 'conservation', one can already deduce what the establishment is all about. The center represents one of the few places to experience nature and have a general overview of the Nigerian vegetation varieties as well as some scenic sights to complement and make the whole a place tourism worthy.
The first sight that greets you on getting to the place is the cool and greenish environment together with some animal species consisting of both domesticated and tamed wild ones.
There use to be two old tortoises that strolls around the reception premises. However, the last time I visited, I could not get a picture of the tortoises because the information has it that they are dead, after living for more than 50 years.
At the entry gate just before the reception, a visitor will pay the necessary fee in order to access the center. The amount varied depending on the activities that one wishes to carryout within the conservatory. The basic fee is for ordinary sightseeing while using the swimming pool and passing through the hanging bridge attracts extra fees.
Beyond the reception is the canopy walkway - the longest canopy walkway as far as the African continent is concerned. The walk is of two types:
- The wood walkway with handrails
- The hanging walkway built of metals and sturdy ropes
Overhanging the wood walkway is a mangrove forest consisting of red and white mangroves as well as some rainforest woody species.
Below the woody walkway lies the brackish water of the mangrove ecosystem. The handrails supporting the woody walkway sometimes house dangerous reptiles. Thus, tourists are always advised to stay away from the woody handrails as much as possible.
The hanging walkway oversees the entire conservatory and beyond on getting to the peak before descending. It swings sideways and produce a creaking sound as one moves across it.
If you are bold enough to pass through the hanging canopywalk, the other side lies a micro-savanna vegetation - away from the dominant mangrove forest. A hut-like relaxation center is built in this area which serves as an avenue for tourists to wind down a bit after the excitement of climbing the hanging walkway.
Beyond the hut lies a few facilities for gaming and relaxation, including a swimming pool.
Also worthy of mentioning is the treehouse. It is a very big tree of Parkia biglobosa whose crown has been used to build a small wooden house that can house 3 to 4 people at once, depending on their weights. Another facility is the bird-viewing house (I could not get a good picture, unfortunately).
All the images used in this post were either taken by me or members of the STEMng on Hive that were part of the meetup organized by myself on July 11, 2018.
Below is a group photo of all the members of the meetup.
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There has been a lot of hype surrounding LEKKI NATURE CONSERVATION CENTER, which I believe is well-deserved; maybe, I will visit there sometime and witness and feel the presence of everything you mentioned. I'm sure you had a great time there.
Es un lugar genial, amigo.
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The flora and fauna in Lagos are special, it's a place worth visiting, thank you for sharing.
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Seems like a very beautiful place and it seems there are still quite some things you didn't capture. I love this. As a Nigerian I'm proud of them and happy they were able to conserve nature in a place like Lagos where land is like gold.