Gateway to Abuja

by Chu Jiwang

In November 2009， I traveled to West Africa with a Chinese delegation to participate in the first China-Nigeria investment and trade forum held in Abuja， capital of Nigeria.

For foreign investors， Nigeria is a country full of opportunity and risk as well. The Niger River is the mother river of West Africa which gave birth to ancient West African culture. As one of Africas most populous countries， Nigeria is called the “cradle of African culture.” Nigeria also boasts rich natural resources yet to be developed. But at the same time， it is also a country with one of the poorest security situations in Africa. According to our guide， due to political instability and tribal and religious conflict， hijackings occur often， so the roads arent very safe. Because of this， he warned us relentlessly not to go out alone， especially in the evening.

Even so， when asked which countries are the best in the world， Nigerians wont hesitate to reply that U.S.A. is the best， U.K. second and Nigeria third.

After the forum wrapped up， we hoped to visit some places of interest. Our guide sighed that there werent many places worth seeing except mysterious Zuma Rock.

Our bus rolled over a vast plain， and we could see tropical grassland and continuous farmland extending beyond the horizon. With fertile soil and ample rainfall， the farmland looked ideal for planting crops. After a 40-minute drive， a huge bare rock crept past the horizon into the sky. The hill-like monolith was the legendary Zuma Rock.

The monolith is known for a fa？ade carrying a human face. As we approached， we could make out the eyes， nose and even shiny forehead. A legend relates how the huge rock came to be： The ancient Greek god of sea， Poseidon， invited his elder brother Zeus to dinner. The lobster he served was so delicious that when it was gone， Zeus sucked on three pebbles that were covered in juices after being used to roast the lobster. One pebble was used by Nigerians as the central marker of its borders， one was lost without a trace， and the third ended up as Zuma Rock.

Situated next to a major highway connecting Kaduna with Abuja， the rock is called “Gateway to Abuja.” Nigerians treasure it and regard it as a symbol of solidarity of their country. They believe that Zuma Rock guards the surrounding villages and their people against any invasion and bullying from outsiders. Therefore， the monolith is deemed a “treasure-guardian” by locals and is depicted on the 100 naira bill. Also， the exterior walls of the Nigeria Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo were inspired by the rock.

As the bus pulled over， we disembarked to take photos. A luxurious build- ing amidst overgrown weeds attracted my attention.

Our guide told us that it was once a luxurious hotel. Nigerians wanted to use it to accommodate tourists visiting the rock. Usually， a hotel built next to a well-known attraction – the most famous in the country in this case – would have welcomed many customers. So what on earth happened to this hotel？ Locals declared that because the hotel faced the human face on the rock， it offended deities. While it was being built， several builders and engineers were accidentally killed. When it was finally completed and opened， several guests were found dead in their rooms. No one has dared stay in the hotel ever since. The owner abandoned it and the hotel was left deserted.

Im not sure how much truth is in the legend， but the hotel I saw was truly abandoned and rotting. Only Zuma Rock remains standing firmly， silently witnessing every rise and fall across the land.