Zuma Rock
©
Zuma Rock

Zuma Rock

Dramatic monolith north of Abuja, visible from the Kaduna highway and featured on Nigeria's hundred-naira note.

Zuma Rock is a 725-metre monolith that rises abruptly from the savannah just north of Abuja, right off the main highway to Kaduna. The rock's sheer face, visible for kilometres, carries a natural pattern that locals call "the face of God" — a shadowy human-like visage that appears on the south side. It features on Nigeria's hundred-naira note.

You can visit as a day trip from Abuja or stop on the way north at Madalla, the roadside town at the base. There is a developing tourist infrastructure but the main attraction is the rock itself — simply standing beneath something this massive is worth the detour. The best view of the famous human-shaped pattern is from the Face of Zuma viewpoint on the southern side of the expressway.

Guide

Things to Do

Zuma Rock is essentially one big sight — the monolith itself. There are no formal hiking trails or visitor centre at the base, and serious climbing requires permits and a guide arranged through the local Gbagyi community, who consider parts of the rock sacred. Most travellers simply pull off the Abuja–Kaduna expressway at one of the viewpoints, take in the scale of the thing, and continue on. Local touts will offer to walk you partway up the lower slopes for a small fee.

A few smaller sights cluster around the rock and the road north from Abuja. Bring water — the savannah here is hot and dry for much of the year.