Adamawa State is a state in North East Nigeria along the country's eastern border with Cameroon. The state is mainly composed of the highlands of mountains (the Atlantika, Mandara, and the Shebshi ranges) and the Adamawa Plateau crossed by valleys and rivers, most notably the Benue and Gongola rivers. It is home to the Gashaka Gumti National Park, a large wildlife park.

Cities

• 1 Girei
• 2 Jimeta
• 3 Mubi
• 4 Njobbore
• 5 Numan
• 6 Yola

Other destinations

• 1 Gashaka Gumti National Park — in Gashaka, Yola, is Nigeria’s largest national park. It has many different terrains, such as savannah grasslands, montane forests, and steep, mountainous regions. The park also contains some historic sites one of which is the pre-1918 German fort and garrison top of Gashaka Hill which was once used as a watch tower by the German military expedition to that area.
• 2 Sukur Cultural Landscape is on a hill above the village of Sukur in the Adamawa State about 120 km south of Maidaguri, in the Mandara Mountains close to Nigeria/Cameroon border. It has a total area of 764.4 ha (1,889 acres). It is about 290 km from Yola. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on a hill above the village of Sukur. Its inscription was based on the cultural heritage of the Hidi's Palace complex and village, material culture, and the naturally-terraced fields, which are in an intact condition. Sukur is Africa's first cultural landscape to receive World Heritage List inscription. Sukur is an ancient settlement with a recorded history of iron smelting technology, flourishing trade, and strong political institution dating back to the 16th century. The area has been under essentially the same form of land management for at least 400 years, under the Dur dynasty of chiefs. Local granite has been used to build terraced fields (which are invested with a spiritual significance with sacred trees and ritual sites), and defensive dry stone walls around homesteads. The area has a long tradition of iron smelting, and village architecture reflects the prevailing social hierarchy, the most prominent set of buildings being the Hidi (chief’s) Palace on a hilltop overlooking the rest of the village.

Understand

Adamawa State is one of the largest states in Nigeria. According to the 2006 population census conducted in Nigeria, Adamawa State recorded a population count of 3.2 million. The state is one of the most heterogeneous in Nigeria with over 100 indigenous ethnic groups.

The most common occupation in Adamawa State is farming, and this has a very good effect on the state as they are known to have different food in abundance, some of their food crops include: yam, maize, cassava, millet, rice amongst others.

The state is mainly composed of the highlands of mountains (the Atlantika, Mandara, and the Shebshi ranges) and the Adamawa Plateau crossed by valleys and rivers, most notably the Benue and Gongola rivers. The lowlands of Adamawa are part of the West Sudanian savanna in the north and the wetter Guinean forest–savanna mosaic in parts of the south while elevated areas are parts of the Mandara Plateau mosaic and Cameroonian Highlands forests ecoregions.

The Adamawa State economy mainly relies on livestock and crops, such as cotton, groundnuts, millet, cassava, guinea corn, and yams.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Yola International Airport (YOL  ^IATA), A8, 640211, Jimeta Yola. Flights from Lagos State, Akure, Oyo State and other cities. (updated Jun 2021)

By bus

There are many bus transport companies that offer bus transportation to Adamawa State from almost all major cities and states around the country. The buses are usually comfortable for short and long journeys. You can travel to Adamawa State from major cities like Abuja, Lagos, Kano amongst other states. Some of the transport companies are:

• The Young Shall Grow Motors Limited, By Total Filling Station, Opposite Stanbic IBTC Bank, close to Market, ☏ +234 8064821855, yola@ysgtransport.com. Daily 6AM-6PM. Young Shall Grow Motors provides buses for inter-state and inter-country travels in a reliable sense. This bus transport company journeys through numerous routes with bus parks and terminals located in the three regions of the country. Its routes include Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Jos, Yola, Onitsha, Nnewi, Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Umuaiha, Port-Harcourt, Uyo and Calabar. ₦5,100-7,550. (updated Jun 2021)
• GUO Transport located at Jendutu Park: +234 807 509 0653, +234 908 671 2710, +234 700 012 1000

Get around

By bus

There are usually buses available to take you around in Adamawa State, all you have to do is to get to the park and pick a bus going to your desired destination. There are buses in every area to take you around Adamawa State.

By motorcycle/tricycle

Motorcycle (two-wheeled ride) and Tricycle (three-wheeled ride) are also available to complement the bus activities in Adamawa State. The motorcycle and tricycles are also available to take you around in Adamawa State, there is usually a limit to where the tricycle and motorcycle can journey too in the state.

See

Three Sisters Rock in Song

• The Three Sisters Rock in Song is not too far from Jimeta in Yola, as it is just about an hour’s drive from the Adamawa state capital. The locals say it is impossible to climb the one in the middle. It is a very nice tourist attraction for tourists to Adamawa State.
• Kamale Mountain Peak in Michika.

Do

• Lamido's Palace, Yola. Pay a visit to Lamido's palace and go and greet him. The palace is usually a nice place to visit as there is usually a warm receiving of tourists to the state. 

• Njuwa fishing festival is an annual fishing festival performed by the Buatiye (Bata) people of Rugange, Njoboliyo, Dasin, Dulo, Bagale, Dagri, and Vunoklan villages of Adamawa Emirate. Although there is no fixed date for the festival, it usually takes place when the level of the water in the lake reduces. In most cases, it comes up in the month of April. The fishing festival attracts many people from within and outside the state. It is one of the numerous festivals in the state that attracts milling crowds. Some of these festivals include Kuchichep in Takum, Ibi fishing festival in Ibi, Vunon wrestling in Farai near Numan, Yinagu near Gulak, and Kilashe feast at Mbulo near Ganye. The festival is usually a two-day festival and it is normally marked by a lot of performances, ranging from traditional dances to competitive running, tug-of-war, boat riding, swimming, fishing, etc. The festival attracts many fishermen with different kinds of styles and skills in catching fish. While some make good use of their bare hands and gourds to catch fish, others make use of nets to do so.

Buy

Adamawa State has both local markets and supermarkets where visitors and tourists can go and buy anything they need.

• Cattle Market, Mubi. A popular market. (updated Jun 2021)
• Jimeta Ultra Modern Market, Jimeta. The largest market in Adamawa state. (updated Jun 2021)
• Yola Market, Yola. (updated Jun 2021)

Drink

There are a lot of places to drink in Adamawa State, you just need to get into a restaurant, bar, pub or even an hotel, request for the drink of your choice and have a nice drink.

Stay safe

Adamawa State has been badly impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. Mubi is the worst affected place in Adamawa State, having suffered major attacks in 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2018.

In February 2020, Boko Haram terrorists launched an attack on homes and churches in Garkida, killing three soldiers and wounding civilians.

Go next

• Ebonyi State
• Taraba State
• Abia State
• Jigawa State