At Nasarawa Salt Lake, two perspectives come together: its water conditions are clearly defined, and it holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for the local Keana people. In Nassarawa, the landscape and cultural themes range from an artificial irrigation dam and waterfalls to traditional salt processing. This diversity gives travelers several different ways to get to know the state beyond a single attraction.

Water and landscape

Doma Dam is an artificial irrigation dam with three arms. Each arm is more than two kilometers long and 30 meters wide. Its function and three-part design give the structure a distinct character. At Nasarawa Salt Lake, also called Keana Salt Lake, other water features take center stage: no rivers or streams flow into the lake, and none flow out of it. According to available information, its water level remains relatively constant despite seasonal changes. The lake’s cultural significance to the local Keana people adds a local perspective to these natural features.

Salt, festival and history

Local salt producers use spring water to process salt in Akiri Salt Village, in the Awe Local Government Area. Alongside the vast waterscapes, this represents a specific local practice: spring water is part of salt processing here. The Nzeh Mada Festival is celebrated by the Mada people in Nasarawa State. The festival program included dance, music and masquerade performances, as well as a cooking competition, wrestling, debates, an exhibition of Mada heritage and a beauty pageant.

The Farin-Ruwa Waterfalls were first discovered by colonial rulers in the 1950s. In 2025, the state’s information commissioner named the waterfalls and the hydroelectric power station in Wamba as potential tourism sites. Awe Hot Spring and Fefe Ruwa Lake were also mentioned in this context as potential sites. Maloney Hill is cited as a tourist destination in Nasarawa State.

Nigeria in a broader context

Within the broader destination of Nigeria, Sukur offers a distinctive example of history and cultural heritage. The ancient settlement has a documented history of iron smelting, thriving trade and strong political institutions dating back to the 16th century. Its landscape includes terraced fields, dry-stone structures and paved stone paths. The Hidi is the community’s political and spiritual leader; his palace is built of dry stone, and numerous shrines are grouped around it, including some made of ceramics.

Many disused shaft furnaces for iron smelting still remain in Sukur. They were operated with bellows and were usually located near their owners’ homes. Traditional terrace farming and the associated ritual systems continue; regularly observed festivals and ceremonies are considered signs of cultural continuity. This example brings together built structures, past production and continuing practices as several layers in the history of cultural heritage. Nigeria’s landscape is also diverse: climatic differences create a north–south gradient of different habitats and ecosystems.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Wuse, Shaba, Lafia, Asokoro, Rutu, Kaduna, Oyo, Rivers.

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