In a bit of tomfoolery (inspirational even by Nigerian standards) the government kicked the Gwari inhabitants off their land and moved the capital, Holus-Bolus, from Lagos to Abuja. Unfortunately they ran out of money before the grand vision could be realised and much of Abuja still looks like an empty parking lot. This tends to make Abuja a particularly dull place to visit unless you're a town planner.Abuja is slowly taking on the role of Nigeria's capital, but while some official functions are held there many ministries are still in Lagos. There really isn't much to do in Abuja except debate the finer points of Nigerian politics. These include the burning issue of whether Abuja ought to be classified as a state or a capital city, instead of the mayoralty that it is.Abuja is about 500km (310mi) north east of Lagos and, being the official capital, has several daily flights from Lagos. Bush taxis shuttle back and forth between Abuja and the major cities in the central district. Once you get there, though, there are relatively few cheap places to stay.

At nearly 1000 years old, the mud-walled Muslim city of Kano is the oldest city in West Africa and sits on the edge of the Sahel (the fringe of the Sahara). Although it's a bustling hive of commercial activity it's still more bearable than Lagos. Its main attraction is the Old City where, despite the walls of the city having all but disintegrated, the gates have remained intact. The main gate, the Kofar Mata Gate, leads to the Emir's palace and the Central Mosque. The mosque is closed to non-Islamic visitors but is worth seeing from the outside especially during the 12.30pm Friday prayer time, when it attracts up to 50,000 worshippers.Next to the mosque is the huge mud-walled Emir's palace, an outstanding example of Hausa architecture, but don't expect to get in without a personal invitation. Next to the palace is the Gidan Makama Museum, built in the 15th century and now completely restored and well worth the visit. The Kofar Mata indigo-dye pits, the oldest in Africa, are in Kanos and supposedly still operational but business looks as if it's dying off. The ancient Kurmi Market is a rambling maze of alleyways and stinking lanes but bargains can be found here if you take your time and have a good look around.Kano is about 835km (520mi) north of Lagos and can be reached by bush taxi, shared taxi or minibus. Trains also travel to Kano.

According to popular wisdom the best thing about Lagos is leaving it. It's a city that still believes itself to be the capital of Nigeria even though officially Abuja now has that honour. Lagos is a sprawling, steamy, overpopulated city with bumper-to-bumper traffic, an international reputation for crime, a corrupt and top-heavy bureaucracy, a creaking infrastructure and a highly visible poverty factor. Add kamikaze drivers and gun-toting law enforcers to the mix and you have a city where just about anything can, and does, happen.However if you use a little bit of street savvy Lagos can offer you a number of unique experiences. It has more night clubs and live music than just about any other West African city and is chiefly known for its music. The late Fela Kuti came from an outer suburb of Lagos. Sunny Ade, king of juju music, still calls it home as does the Afro-reggae specialist Sonny Okosun. Sunny Ade's club Ariya Night Club is in Yaba and is worth a visit as is the open-air Jazz 38 where, if you've had the foresight to bring your own musical instrument with you, you might score an invitation to jam with the band.The National Museum, on Lagos Island, is worth a visit for its impressive bronze sculptures and ivory carvings from Benin and for its masks and terracotta antiquities from Jos. From ancient relics to modern ruins, the other note-worthy exhibition is the bullet-riddled car in which Murtala Mohammed, a former head of state, was assassinated.The heart of Lagos is Lagos Island where all the major banks, department stores, restaurants and black marketeers are to be found. Most of the embassies and big houses are on Victoria and Ikoyi Islands. The three islands together make up most of downtown Lagos. A strong word of warning: Lagos is one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world, so you need to be switched on at all times. Never walk around alone and always take a taxi at night.

Yankari National Park, 225km (139mi) east of Jos, has West Africa's best nature reserve and holds the only remnant of wildlife left in Nigeria. Seeing animals here is a bit of a hit-and-miss affair but if you're in luck you may come across elephant, waterbuck, hippo, crocodile and the occasional lion. The other feature of interest in the park is the thermal Wikki Warm Spring. The best months to visit are January and February. If going through the park in a noisy wildlife-viewing truck is not your thing, you can arrange for one of the guides to take you on a walking tour.Yankari National Park is 900km (558mi) from Lagos but if you get to Bauchi, minivans travel to Dindima where you can then flag a bush taxi for the 30-minute ride to the main gate. You can also hire bush taxis in Bauchi that will take you straight to the main gate.