Stuff you need backpacking around Nigeria

Languages  English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, Efik, Ejagham, Urhobo

Nigerian chicken stew. There are many types of traditional cuisine to enjoy. For example: Okra soup, plantain (fried, boiled, roasted), pepper soup, amala, eba, efo, pounded Yam (Iyan - Yoruba for "pounded yam"), jollof rice, ground nut soup, ogbono soup, Isi Ewu (goat's head stew), egusi soup, suya (kebab), ewedu, edikangikong, ground-rice, puff-puff, chin chin, ikokore, owerri soup (ofe owerri), which is the most expensive African soup in Nigeria. Not to forget 404 pepper soup - it will make you act like Oliver Twist.

• Nigeria is one of the places where Guinness is brewed outside of Ireland. And they do it pretty well, although it's not the same product. Namibian breweries have also recently received a license to brew Guinness. The Guinness-brand (with logo and copyrights where they should be) is also used to brew both an alcohol-free malt version of the black stuff, and an extra strong (about 7.5%) version of Guinness in Kenya (in the case of the latter) and Tanzania (in the case of the former).

• Beer is actually big business in Nigeria, although the move toward evangelism is making its mark. Lagos is relatively unaffected due to its cosmopolitan nature. Heineken, Star, Harp and other international beers are available.

• Malt beverages (non alcoholic) are very common in Nigeria.

• The other cheap drink of choice is gin, which is locally made. Some locals will swear to it making their step uncle's dog blind, though, so be careful.

• Never drink the water sold in plastic bags. It probably hasn't been boiled, and may carry some nasty diseases. The bottled water and other soft drinks are safe.

Other drinks to consider include: palm wine, wine, zobo (red soft drink, is a tea of dried roselle flowers), kunun, Kai Kai. The northern states have implemented sharia (islamic) law, which means that alcohol is prohibited. Ironically, the only places where you can drink a beer in these states are the police staff bars and the army barracks, because these are institutions under federal law.

Nigerian currency Nigeria's currency is the naira. On 1 August 2007, there were 127.10 naira to the US dollar. It is advised to cash all your naira back into US dollars at the airport before you leave Nigeria. The rate is irrelevant, as the naira is worthless outside Nigeria. Naira bills/coins may be of interest to currency collectors, but other than that, they will be nothing more than colorful souvenirs of your trip. Be warned that some of the dollar bills you'll get from street vendors will likely be counterfeit, so stick with established banks for your currency exchange needs. If you have a VISA card, you can withdraw money from Standard Chartered Bank ATM Machine's in Lagos - Aromire St., off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja & Ajose Adeogun St. in Victoria Island Branch, Abuja and Port Harcourt (in Naira). This will save you a lot of stress carrying large sums of money and it is secured. MasterCard / Maestro users can also withdraw Money from ATMs at several branches of Zenith Bank. Look for the red ATM sign outside, or ask the on-site security officer at any branch. Also look for Ecobank. It is advisable that you know where to buy things well in advance of your going out. This can save you exposure to hoodlums who can attack based on your lack of knowledge of places. Nigerian Yellow Pages provides list of businesses, contact addresses and phone numbers. The best thing to do is to locate the business, call their representative, who can give you detailed information on how to locate them.

Bargaining

On the market, you are supposed to haggle for your goods (a notable exception is bread: its price is fixed). As a general rule, the real price is about half the price that was first asked. The seller may exaggerate the price when he or she thinks that you are a rich tourist ignorant of the real price. After agreeing on a price, don't walk away without buying, this is considered very rude.

You will hardly be able to find your way in Nigeria unless you have been provided directions in advance. Nigeria's Tour & Travel Guide provides a free download of its tour and guide. It has list of all list of reputable Hotels, Guest Houses, Airlines, Travel Agencies, Car Hire, Shopping Malls, Spa & Pampering, Food (Restaurants), Nightlife (& NightClubs), Tourist Attractions, Tour Guide Operators and more. The country code for Nigeria is 234. Dialing out from Nigeria: you will need to dial +9 (followed by the) International Code (followed by the) phone digit numbers. Dialing into Nigeria: callers use +234 (followed by the) phone digit numbers. There is also a company in Nigeria Elixir Communication Worldwide http://elixirworldwide.com that offers mobile phones for the blind and visually challenged. All the mobile operators have a roaming agreement with other mobile operators around the world.