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How I quit my 9-5 to become a full time travel blogger.
Hello Alarinkaz, I hope you started off your week on a good note On today’s features on the travellers corner we have the award-winning, goal getter TheFisayo who is known for her incredible works in advocating for Africa Tourism and also helping people to become a successful travel blogger. Today, she will be sharing her transition from a corporate 9-5 worker to becoming a full time travel blogger. I featured her particular on this topic to inspire anyone that has made this decision or you are thinking this could be the next step that you can do it too if you’re convinced and passionate enough. Below is my interview with the award-winning blogger and I hope it inspires and enlighten you. Enjoy.. 1:Kindly introduce yourself;My parents named me Fisayo Olayinka-Bello, and I branded myself TheFisayo. I am a Nigerian award-winning travel blogger (https://thefisayo.com/), focused on promoting Tourism in Africa. I am also a YouTuber, podcast host, big dreamerteaching travel blogging courses, and an innovator who thrives at the intersection of tourism, technology and advocacy. 2:How long have you been a travel blogger?I started blogging in December 2016, so that would make it 3 years and 7 months. 3:When was that turning point for you that made you realize it’s high time you left the corporate world?Well, before I started my 9-5 I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, running my own business, providing jobs to people and ultimately make the world a better place based on whatever I build.However, I wanted to gain some form of experience and practice the course I studied in school for my undergraduate degree which is – Industrial Relations & Human Resource Management. I got the experience I wanted at 2 separate companies and I felt like it was time to start my own thing.At the time, I wouldn’t say I was well equipped with the tools and knowledge to run a business, but it was a risk I ventured into optimistically. 4: What was your 9-5 like that made you give it up?For my first job after NYSC, I was a Human Resource intern, and my next job was as a Human Resource Analyst. The pay was alright, and I liked the fact that I was practicing what I studied in school. It felt like I had checked all the boxes. However, when your heart wants something, or when you feel like you are being directed to do something, you would always look forward to accomplishing it.In my case, it was following my dreams, my passion to start a business and take little steps to help people through my blog articles and YouTube videos. 5: Who/ what inspired you to think “Travel blogging” was the next phase? Well, at the time (2016/17), my blog was focused on my lifestyle, which included sharing book reviews from books that inspired me or transformed my mind.Other topics covered on my blog then was travel, food, and makeup. However, the month I ended my 9-5, I attended a travel conference and I listened to a panelist sharing the gaps in the Nigerian tourism industry.With my natural flare to proffer solutions to problems identified, I decided to focus my blog on travel and tourism. Specifically to promote travel destinations in Nigeria to Nigerians and international tourists. I later expanded my focus to Africa because I did not like the picture painted of the African continent on the media. I took it upon myself to change that narrative through African destination promotion on my site and YouTube videos. 6: What are the 5 key Elements to becoming a successful travel blogger like you?AH! I have blown oh. Well, the key is finding a problem you are passionate about and being focused to solve that problem notwithstanding the obstacles you might face. Two, position yourself among industry gurus by attending networking events. Three, do not be shy to ask questions from people or seek for help. Four, make sure you are not doing this for the money alone. Get your mind ready for delayed gratification. I say this because the Nigerian tourism industry is still growing, and some structures have not been well established enough for you to see a clear career growth. Five, ask God for direction. 7: Would you advise anyone to quit their 9-5 for blogging? Well, I would say plan before you do so. If you want to turn blogging into a full time business/career, make sure you have at least 2 steady streams of income through blogging before you decide to quit you 9-5.If the two streams of income out way your 9-5 salary, then, you can make the decision to take more time to focus on building your blogging business. This is something I wish I did before I quit my job. This is the reason I have taken it upon myself to help other travel bloggers start and grow the sustainably through the travel blogging course I started.At the end of the day, the decision is left to you, my major advice would be that you ask God for direction. 8: Have you always been this ambitious and goal driven? Haha,it is funny you ask. Sometimes during self reflection, I wonder what my top 3 qualities are, when I struggle to come up with something, I ask my friends or my university undergraduate course mates. More often than none, the top quality they all mention is that I am entrepreneurship driven.This is a quality I will attribute to the books I read, the environment I surround myself with, and the schools I went to that helped shape my mindset.Plus, my mum is also a huge source of inspiration to me. She is a superwoman. 9:As a new blogger! What are the top 5 qualities I must possess?There is no top 5 quality at the top of my head. I would say, be open to new ideas and be open to solving problems. Oh, one key thing is to be yourself and know what you want to achieve.As much as I tell you to be open to new ideas, it does not mean
Traveling through Adamawa State; The land of Beauty.
Traveling Through Yola. Have you ever travelled to a city with zero or no expectations at all, because of the religious belief and news you’ve heard? That was me traveling to Adamawa State, I had zero expectations and I definitely got served. Adamawa State is a state in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, a state presumed to be a strict religious city with no fun activities in the state. Getting into Adamawa State from Jalingo which is the capital of Taraba state, it was a 4-hour drive to Yola town. The link road was so good that it seemed we only spent a few minutes driving. I was welcomed by Elujoba, my host who was so gassed about where he will be taking me after I’ve showered and rested. His word “Yola na bubbling place o, clubs they open for here on Monday” I was shocked like “Club ke” In Adamawa, Impossicant. My dear, The reality of this beats my wildest imagination, it felt like I was in Club Royal in Ikeja Lagos. Everything was bubbling, girls on the dance floor rocking boys with their big behind and myself joining the other tenth screaming on top of our voices as the deejay played the Gbedu.. Na whole Vibeeeeee The next day which was on a Saturday, was time to explore the destinations I had written in my notepad. After asking my host who seemed to know nowhere aside from clubs and bars, it was time I find my way around. My first attraction was Ruwan Zafi, also known as Lamurde hot spring. I read about a hot steam at Lamurde LG, Gykan village and trust your girl to not miss such wonder. Finding my way there: after asking different locals and looking for Lamurde on the map. I finally found my way. Direction: I took a bus from Yola town where I got a cab for N600 to Numan LGA, from there I took another cab to Lamurde for N500. Getting locals who knew this destination was quite a struggle but I finally found a Bike man who understood me and took me to Gyakan village where the hot spring was located. It took about 2hours from Yola town to the hot spring. As I approached the small stream asking myself if this is all to it seeing kids walking in the water, I never knew I was about to get boiled. The hotspring boils like water forgotten on the gas for more than 5hours. I couldn’t dare walk or stand in it for for more than a few seconds. The Villagers don’t know how the mysterious stream came about, it’s always hot year in, year out even during the rainy season. What a blessing left for waste in the Nigeria tourism industry. After an amazing time with the locals, my bike man and I headed towards the Kiri dam north of the Lamurde spring in Shelleng local government area. It was a 1hour thirty minute drive to the Dam and this was nothing short of amazing. The kiri dam was originally created to provide water to a sugar company, called “Savanna sugar” and also to meet the needs of water in some of the communities in the state. I met the “Emir of the water”, as he fondly called himself with so much pride. My Emir took me on a cruise round the dam explaining how the dam came about, and their fishing activities while joking around. The good thing about this was; he took me on the cruise for free even though I offered to pay him.. (Nigerians are what! We are the Kindest) Getting back into Yola, I took a quick tour of Yola town in a keke napep to see the Iconic Jippu jam Gate and the gigantic Calash in the center of the town. Catching sunset at this destination was a blissful addition to my imagined experience. Writing boldly on both sides of the Gate are Hausa words; Jippu Jam which means Farewell and Jabbama means welcome. These gates are a demarcation between Yola and Jimeta. Tried visiting the Lamido’s palace and Fobminna museum but couldn’t access it because it was on a sunday. Did I mentioned that I had a full plate of Amala,gbegiri and ewedu and bokoto, orisirisi meat for just N400 in Yola, Bank road. I recommend Sholly restaurant on bank road anytime you find yourself in Yola. What you need to know about Adamawa State. Adamawa can be easily explored in a day or two. You don’t necessarily need anything much to explore the city apart from your essentials. It was created out of Gongola in Taraba State. The state is relatively cheap to explore and its tourist friendly. The name “Adamawa” came from the founder of the kingdom, Modibo Adama, a regional leader of the Fulani Jihad organized by Usman dan Fodio of Sokoto in 1804. Attractions in Adamawa State Ruwan Zafi (Gykan Village, Lamurde LGA) Kiri dam(Kiri village, Shelleng LGA) Yola town Jippu Jam entrance gate Modibbo palace and Museum The Calabash Other attractions Sukur village Koma hills Mandara mountains Note At the time of publishing this post I couldn’t visit the other attractions listed because of safety reasons and inaccessibility. This post will definitely be updated when there are new changes in information. Festivals in Adamawa State. The Phuki Festival:The Phuki festival as it is known by the people of Yandang, signifies the celebration of the ‘New Crops’ that are yet to be harvested. It celebrated annually every end of the week in September to first week in October. Kewetee Festival: A festival carries as a prayer to the people of Bachama Kingdom for a bountiful harvest. Frequently asked question Is Adamawa safe to explore?Yes it’s safe to explore for a solo or group trip. Do I have to dress a certain way? Not necessarily, dress moderately and you’ll be fine. How easy is it to navigate around? You can easily explore the city with Tricycles
How to travel Safe in Nigeria. from top 10 nigeria travel bloggers
When I started my travel journey , there were lots of travel bloggers to learn and drive travel inspiration and motivation from but there was few of them traveling around Nigeria and really documenting it. As a newbie on the block, I needed the drive to move and see more. Sometimes a picture from someone is all that we need to backpack into the woods and this few people gave me that extra push needed. Now that interstate traveling is back and we are all hitching to get on the road many of you would be forced to explore locally now because “you know what time is it” 😉 I decided to reach out to other travel bloggers who had been there before me and still are to share one travel and safety tips to help you stay safe and prepared out there. This is going to be an episode on my blog called A traveller’s corner where I will be featuring travel bloggers across the world, to promote, honor and also have them share from their pool of knowledge with us every Tuesday. So enjoy this read, jolt something down, put it into practice and stay safe out there. Tell us a brief history of myself.My name is Dolapo Olayoriju. Most of my friends and people in the community call me by the nickname ‘Dollypimpim. I work in the Aviation Industry as a Ground Handling Exec. but when I am not doing that, I am traveling, seeking one form of wanderlust or the other. I am particularly interested in adventure travels, ones that give a lot of adrenaline rush and are somewhat challenging. So I tend to seek out destinations that give me that. How long have you been travelling?I have been travelling for a while, but I started actively travelling and documenting in 2018. How many states have you been to? I have been to Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Ekiti, Nassarawa, and FCT. What is the one travel tip you have learnt during your cause of travelling? I tend to properly research my destinations. I make use of every social media tool available, I read the news, basically get all the information I can get, Then I go there with an open mind. What that does is that it allows me other people’s experiences so I know what to do and not to do. It also allows me to know the risks of every destination.This is the reason for a community in the first place. What safety measures do you imply while traveling to keep safe.The safety measures I take when travelling.a. I research my destinations properly so I know what I am dealing with. This allows me to pack and behave appropriately. I am talking about money, clothes, hotels, etc. Imagine taking an atm card to a destination that doesn’t even have an atm machine or wearing bum shorts in some Northern States. b. I inform friends or family about my destination and update them at every point in time. c. If travelling with a group, we include security personnels in our logistics.d. If travelling alone, I blend with locals for the best experiences especially if they are welcoming.e. I always travel with a mini first aid box and my health card, you know, just in case. f. I try to have fun, but also engage my sixth sense to be totally aware of my surroundings and leave when something feels off. Tell us a brief history of yourself my name is Oguntimehin Babajide. I am from the southwestern part of Nigeria. I am an educationist and economist by academic qualifications and a sales person by work experience How long have you been travelling? .I have been travelling as far back as I can remember. As a kid, Dad takes us on road trips.i think that was where I got the bug from but I embraced travelling and adventure intentionally in 2010. How many states have you been to? I have traveled to 28 states in Nigeria and intend to complete the cycle before the end of the year. what is that one travel tip you have learnt during your cause of traveling? one important tip I have learned during traveling and adventure is that there are no stupid questions. Ask all the questions, get tips from wherever you can and don’t forget to embrace the locals(na dem backyard What safety measures do you imply while traveling to keep safe?One important safety tip is to inform at least one person of your travel plans/routes before embarking on any journey and if possible send your Live Location as frequently as possible to a friend in case of any emergency. Tell us a brief history of yourself my name is Bolaji Seun, An award winning Nigerian Tourist, travel writer, sustainable tourism promoter, and the CEO of Naija Explorers How long have you been travelling?-I have been traveling since 2015 How many states have you been to? well, I have been to 33 states in Nigeria What is that one travel tip you have learnt during your cause of traveling.When traveling, you’ve to have enough cash with you, so that you won’t get stranded, I remember I got stranded unexpectedly somewhere in Bauchi, I’ve learnt from such unexpected incidents, sometimes I make use of Google map to get to my location, always with my identity cards, like two power banks, enough clothes etc What safety measures do you imply while traveling to keep safe. in my cause of travelling?-Whenever I want to go on tour or anywhere in Nigeria, I always share my travel information with anyone I trust, in case if anything happens to me, I avoid deadly roads and I make sure I keep my valuables safe. such as my camera, phones, and laptop, sometimes I dress in a low key way to put people’s attention away from seeing me as a rich or foreign person in their land,

ROAD TO 774 ; Adventure| Fun| Purpose
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Before we get into a new beginning, let’s take a moment to celebrate my very recent achievement of exploring the whole 36states in Nigeria.. It was like yesterday when I documented my travel goals on this platform in 2019, and to see how far I’ve come is worth celebrating. What’s next for Alarinka? Lately, I have been asked questions like; Toke now that you are done exploring all 36states in Nigeria. What next? Honestly, I cringe at this question not because I don’t know what’s next but because what my mind is saying is next for me is bigger than the initial plans I had when I started, and I think my mind is speaking in the nonsense (lol) I’ve prayed it off with a disturbed heart and every time I try to fight it keeps coming back stronger, so here it is…. Road to 778 Local government in Nigeria, Tagged “traveling with a purpose” a journey for mankind. If you’ve been following my travel journey I’m sure you would have noticed if not once or twice how some experiences has moved me to tears while sharing stories of people I’ve met and their ways of life, their means of survival . Over time, as I traveled across this beautiful country, my interest started drifting and I began to have a bigger purpose that I felt were plainly insane and unachievable. But they say if your dreams don’t scare you that means they ain’t big enough.. While traveling around this country , there are certain things I found out. Uneven distribution of opportunities : I realized some parts of the country rarely get any NGO’s attention compared to the level of concentration in Lagos and some southern parts of Nigeria. Lack of sympathy from Tourist to locals: These places offers us beautiful attractions, what are we willing to give back? A lot of people don’t know much about their origin and their culture, this we are going to explore. Everything that makes the Nupe strong and the urhobo’s brave. Inadequate basic amenities in most rural areas. There are lots of tribes we don’t even know are existing, a lot of hidden gems and more to explore and the list goes on and on I want to travel to your village! Yea everyone of you!I am sure some of you have never traveled to your hometown before and you really don’t know much about your culture or situation of things over there This initiative is aim to connect more NGOs, Companies and travelers who would want to bring meaningful contributions of requested supplies to these destinations. To travel to if not all but most towns and villages to promote culture, heritages and Festivals in Nigeria. To experience diverse culture and food, live with the locals, fetch firewood, go to the stream, listen to moonlight tales , Gosh the imagination of this just wants me to hit the road right now. Identify realistic and solvable problems presenting them to the public to proffer solutions to aid better standard of living Gather travel enthusiasts to explore these culture, adventures and to also give back to the community I want to connect organizations/companies to evenly distribute charitable event/opportunities across the country. This is going to be a lifetime project for me, because 778 is a lot and I can’t predict when I will be able to achieve this because of the procedures like-Travelling to the destination, exploring, identify their basic needs, fund raising , getting sponsorship and completion of the project.It’s a long process…… I believe it sounds crazy to you too yeah? I know so too. But I need your help, and this is best time to make all necessary plans, reach out to all necessary organizations that can make this movement a reality. I want to build a community of travellers that would love to join this movement, to travel together , create beautiful memories, promote culture and tourism in Nigeria and also make impact while at it. Trust me it’s going to be fun and fulfilling. Please allow me to welcome you to the beginning of a new direction: ROAD TO 778 .. What I need your help with; kindly CLICK HERE to sign up to my mailing list if you would like to join my travel community. I will be sharing with you details of trips beforehand, planning and all necessary informations. I really wish you will be excited as much as I am and you will join me on this one. Kindly CLICK HERE to fill this questionnaire, It will only take you a few minutes.This is really important to help me make plans and structure my trips, so I am ready to go once all of this is over. -If you know of any brand you think I can partner with to make this happen(not necessarily in the travel sector) kindly mention them and I will take over from there. Dear Alarinkaz, we can do this, and I’m so excited , can’t wait to see all the magic we will be making.. Thank you for always supporting
When this Pandemic is all over! What next?
When this Pandemic is all over! What next? For a while, I worried about everything that’s going on, and how it’s affecting the world in general.It’s so sad seeing the rate of lives being lost on a daily basis and what it is costing us; our freedom, our peace, our livelihood and I can’t help but live in the present with all of this that I forget to think of the aftermath.Like when all of this is over! What’s next?. I have seen different posts about when all of this is over ”I will travel more, love more do this, do that” and this desire varies from one person to another. Now! In terms of Travel, when all of this is over where will you go?Will you travel abroad immediately, just to get to see the next beautiful attractions or give it more time to ascertain that all coast is clear and it’s safe to explore the world again. Honestly, this pandemic will be a big blow on international travel, because most people will prefer to explore their countries just to be safe and be sure it’s safe to travel again and this will increase the inflow of tourism locally. When all of this is over what next!What/ how are you presenting yourself to benefit from all of these in the travel industry. If your plan is to travel more; this is what you need to start doing now! 1: Start writing down the places you’d like to visit, what interests you, your type of adventure, what you want to see more and how you love to explore. Start writing them now, you have more than enough time now to figure out what your hobbies are and which cities can give that to you. 2: create that connection now; People always ask me how do I get host in mostly all the state I visit. Some of my hosts are friends I met on social media. We have created a connection that qualifies us as friends. And one of the secrets to budget trips is having free /cheap accommodation Now is the best time to make friends on the media. Have a meaningful conversations with people all around your country.Imagine if you make meaningful connections with people in 15states, it definitely means when you start travelling, you already have a host/friend in those states. 3: Learn a new language; how will you feel if you get to a strange city and you were able to communicate with them in their local language. Delighted right? If so! Learn a new language during this period it will come in helpful. If you’re presenting yourself to benefit from this financially as a player in the tourism industry, this is what you should start doing. 1: Be a Tourguide; people would want to travel after all this. They will need that big break, a breath of fresh air, a breakthrough from their homes that turned into a cell room overnight. They will need you, an expert, a tour-guide to deliver that desire to them. 2: Pick your destination; As much as you would want to make more money and organise trips all over the country. Pick a few destinations and know them like the palm of your hands.Learn about these destinations, their tourist attractions, their people, the best of the best hotels, the best restaurants / Buka. Know this destination in and out and planning will be so easy for you. 3; Learn a new language; Maybe you can start learning a new language from the destination you want to focus on.Learning how to communicate in their local language will make it easier for you to get people around and have an amazing time while visiting. 4: A new skill is the latest sexy; in the travel and tourism sector; what extra advantage do you have apart from organising trips! Can you book a flight? Can you proffer travel solutions?Search for courses online related to the travel industry and learn one.This way if you decide to work with an agent before you become one, you’ll have an edge. 5: Start building your contacts; Stay relevant on social media and start establishing your existence. Let people know what you do and what you can do for them. Definitely, when all of this is over, you already know where your first set of clients are coming from. As we go about watching Netflix, eating and relaxing, don’t let us loose guard. when all of this is over we won’t be caught unaware and unprepared just like the pandemic did. Also remember to rest and enjoy this moment, don’t over worry yourself but then again let’s use this period wisely. He who fails to plan…… Thank you guys do have an amazing lockdown season. You can share and contribute to this post via the comment section.Alarinka cares ❤️
Ikot Abasi; Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria.
Akwa-Ibom is one of the must-visit states in Nigeria. It’s one of the blessed states in terms of tourism and hospitality and everyone deserves a taste of it. Hello Alarinka, Welcome to another episode of travel gist with Toke. Akwa-Ibom was part of my final leg destinations in the completion of my mission to visit all 36states in Nigeria and the state was everything and more than I could have ever imagined it to be. I journeyed with God is Good Motors (GIGM) to Uyo, one of the best and reliable transportation in Nigeria. It took about 15hours to get to Uyo from Lagos. On getting to Uyo on my first night, my beautiful host whom I met on Instagram @thewantor welcomed me into the city with Fufu and okra(spelt as pronounced ) with Orisirisi( I mean assorted) with cold water. What a good way to be welcomed into the promised land. The next morning, Wanny woke me up early to share with me our itinerary for the day and how early we needed to leave the house. She knows the nooks and crannies of the state that I didn’t have the need to bother myself of creating my own itinerary. When she said we will be exploring Ikot-Abasi first, I knew better not to question her judgment. All I did was get ready and look pretty. Around 9.am we journeyed from Uyo city to Ikot Abasi which is another local government in Akwa-Ibom, it was approximately 2 hours drive from Ekaniman to Ikot-Abasi. The transportation cost N800 per person and it’s a 6passenger car I:e 2 in the front and 4 at the back, it was quite discomforting that myself and Wanny had to plead to get the front seat so we could at least be comfortable since we are both lepacious. On getting to Ikot-Abasi we were first being harassed by a police officer for nothing sake. When we asked, he said my tripod stand look like a gun and he thought we are part of the people protesting in the city. I laughed in German hahahhahahaha ; tripod look like a gun, you must be kidding me. After wasting few of our time, we asked to be dismissed because clearly he can see we were only visiting and had nothing to do with protest. Wantor being the angel that she is, has arranged her regular bike man in the city. He took us around the city one attractions to another. There are a lot of places to see in Ikot Abasi and I understood why it was her first call. IKOT ABASI Ikot Abasi, also called Opobo, formerly Egwanga, port town, Akwa Ibom state, southern Nigeria. The town lies near the mouth of the Imo (Opobo) River. Situated at a break in the mangrove swamps and rain forest of the eastern Niger delta, it served in the 19th century as a collecting point for slaves. Our first point of visit was the Women war Memorial. On our arrival, the facilities guard wasn’t on seat but the museum was opened except the galley. We waited for a while and at the point of giving up, there he was in his short and round neck T-shirt. It would have been a sad story if I had missed seeing that, the gallery was really small but displayed pictures and names of the women that led the protest and those that died during the war. I love how well managed and clean the museum was and the fact that you can read the inscriptions on the wall and take your time without being rushed by a guide is a blessing. Entrance Fee to the gallery cost; N500 and cameras are not allowed. A little story about the Aba Women’s Riot also know as the Women’s war. History has it that The Women’s War, or Aba Women’s RiotsThe protests The Aba Women’s Riots of 1929 broke out when thousands of Igbo women from the Bende District, Umuahia and other places in eastern Nigeria traveled to the town of Oloko to protest against the Warrant Chiefs, whom they accused of restricting the role of women in the government. The Aba Women’s Riots of 1929, as it was named in British colonial records, is more aptly considered a strategically executed anti-colonial revolt organised by women to redress social, political and economic grievances. The protest encompassed women from six ethnic groups (Ibibio, Andoni, Orgoni, Bonny, Opobo, and Igbo).It was organised and led by the rural women of Owerri and Calabar provinces. During the events, many Warrant Chiefs were forced to resign and 16 Native Courts were attacked, most of which were destroyed. It was the first major anti-colonial revolt by women in West Africa. In 1930 the colonial government abolished the system of warrant chieftains, and appointed women to the Native Court system. These reforms were built upon by the African women and have been seen as a prelude to the emergence of mass African anti-colonial nationalism. Aba Women’s Riots of 1929, as it was named in British colonial records, is more aptly considered a strategically executed anti-colonial revolt organised by women to redress social, political and economic grievances. The wars was led by these women Connie, Nwannedia, Nwugo It was recorded that 10,000 women protested and 55 of them were killed. Just a mile away from the Museum was the Amalgamation house also referred to as Lord Fedrick Lugard’s Office. It dens my heart how we let our history rotten to the ground because of Negligence . The Amalgamation House; History has it that; The amalgamation House is the building where Lord Lugard declared the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates of the then Nigeria in 1914. His wife, Flora Shaw eventually gave the country the name Nigeria. The declaration subsequently created the present-day Nigeria. The building also hosted the General Olusegun Obasanjo who was the former commanding officer for the Nigerian Army and General Phillip Effiong of the Biafran Army, where they both signed the declaration of cease-fire that put an end to the Nigerian civil war in January 1970. The building is a typical