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| Mpape Crushed Rock: Nigerians flock to new Abuja beauty spot | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| An abandoned quarry in Nigeria has been become a tourist hotspot after images were posted on social media earlier this month. | An abandoned quarry in Nigeria has been become a tourist hotspot after images were posted on social media earlier this month. |
| The rocky cliffs climbing into a blue sky, a moss-lined footpath, small green hills and a lake that shimmers in the sun are quite breath-taking and a set of images shared on Twitter at the beginning of August has been liked more than a thousand times. | The rocky cliffs climbing into a blue sky, a moss-lined footpath, small green hills and a lake that shimmers in the sun are quite breath-taking and a set of images shared on Twitter at the beginning of August has been liked more than a thousand times. |
| In a matter of days of the post, the site, known as Crushed Rock, in Mpape - a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital Abuja - was thronged. | In a matter of days of the post, the site, known as Crushed Rock, in Mpape - a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital Abuja - was thronged. |
| There has been a DJ stand, food vendors, hundreds of sun-bathing selfie-takers - and even a band of classical musicians. | There has been a DJ stand, food vendors, hundreds of sun-bathing selfie-takers - and even a band of classical musicians. |
| Nigerians are not generally known to be outdoor lovers - the weather is very hot in the north and quite humid in the south. | Nigerians are not generally known to be outdoor lovers - the weather is very hot in the north and quite humid in the south. |
| However, there is a burgeoning community of hikers around Abuja inspired by the many expatriates living in the political capital. | However, there is a burgeoning community of hikers around Abuja inspired by the many expatriates living in the political capital. |
| The coronavirus pandemic has also had a part to play in encouraging these young middle-class Nigerians to explore the hills in the country's rocky central region. | |
| The lockdown, which prevented people from travelling elsewhere, has meant that places closer to home are being explored. | The lockdown, which prevented people from travelling elsewhere, has meant that places closer to home are being explored. |
| The area around Mpape, which means "rock" in the local Gwari language, supplied much of the stone used to transform Abuja from a small village in the 1980s into the country's capital city. | |
| "The quarry has existed for more than 10 years," said Mpape resident Courage Ebenz, who is somewhat bemused by the sudden influx of city-dwellers. | "The quarry has existed for more than 10 years," said Mpape resident Courage Ebenz, who is somewhat bemused by the sudden influx of city-dwellers. |
| Nigeria has an abundance of sites of natural beauty, but this "man-made" location has its own appeal - with three main tiers that each give a stunning view of the water below. | |
| Sightseers can choose a small winding footpath to the top terrace, where the grass is an ideal picnic location. | Sightseers can choose a small winding footpath to the top terrace, where the grass is an ideal picnic location. |
| The more adventurous can continue down the path that circles and snakes down to the water's edge. | The more adventurous can continue down the path that circles and snakes down to the water's edge. |
| But a warning for the brave who might want to plunge into the water - the locals say it is full of abandoned machinery. | |
| According to Abraham Adepelumi, a geo-physicist at Obafemi Awolowo university, the lake was formed as a result of the fracturing of an aquifer. | According to Abraham Adepelumi, a geo-physicist at Obafemi Awolowo university, the lake was formed as a result of the fracturing of an aquifer. |
| "Once the rock got fractured, the water within the rock was under pressure," he told the BBC. | "Once the rock got fractured, the water within the rock was under pressure," he told the BBC. |
| "It is a natural phenomenon, Mpape is a fracture-prone area of Abuja and has experienced tremors as recent as 2018." | "It is a natural phenomenon, Mpape is a fracture-prone area of Abuja and has experienced tremors as recent as 2018." |
| You may also be interested in: | You may also be interested in: |
| The local emergency agency has warned amateurs against hiking at Mpape Crushed Rock, but fun-seekers seem not to be deterred. | The local emergency agency has warned amateurs against hiking at Mpape Crushed Rock, but fun-seekers seem not to be deterred. |
| "I didn't know we had such a place in Nigeria and I wanted to see if it is real," Elizabeth Okute, who came with her friends after seeing pictures on Facebook, told the BBC. | "I didn't know we had such a place in Nigeria and I wanted to see if it is real," Elizabeth Okute, who came with her friends after seeing pictures on Facebook, told the BBC. |
| "I am surprised such a place exists in Abuja and I love what I am seeing," said Ann Chukwuka. | "I am surprised such a place exists in Abuja and I love what I am seeing," said Ann Chukwuka. |
| Emeka Uko, who kept straying to the edge much to the chagrin of his friends, added: "I hope we put measures in place to preserve it." | Emeka Uko, who kept straying to the edge much to the chagrin of his friends, added: "I hope we put measures in place to preserve it." |
| This is exactly what some volunteers decided to do last Saturday, clearing up a trail of plastic waste around the quarry that has built up over the last few weeks. | This is exactly what some volunteers decided to do last Saturday, clearing up a trail of plastic waste around the quarry that has built up over the last few weeks. |
| They split into two groups to compete to see who could collect the most rubbish - updating social media as they went. | They split into two groups to compete to see who could collect the most rubbish - updating social media as they went. |
| "A lot of people felt it was their responsibility to clean up the place," Brandon Akume, whose group came second in the clean-up dash, told the BBC. | "A lot of people felt it was their responsibility to clean up the place," Brandon Akume, whose group came second in the clean-up dash, told the BBC. |
| This was an alien concept to most Nigerians, he added. | This was an alien concept to most Nigerians, he added. |
| He moved from one group of picnickers to the other, handing out rubbish bags, instructing people to dispose of their litter. | He moved from one group of picnickers to the other, handing out rubbish bags, instructing people to dispose of their litter. |
| "They want to poison this place, it seems I have my work cut out for me," he said. | "They want to poison this place, it seems I have my work cut out for me," he said. |
| Photos by Fatima Muhammad and words by the BBC's Nduka Orjinmo | Photos by Fatima Muhammad and words by the BBC's Nduka Orjinmo |