Saturdays, which typically used to be days for cleaning up and attending parties, especially weddings, are no longer reserved for such activities alone, for some residents of Abuja.
For this category of residents, there are treasures hidden high up in the mountains surrounding Abuja which they must find and this is what they dedicate their Saturday mornings to.
Every Saturday in Abuja, groups of people in athletic gear hike the mountains in an activity some have termed “a walk with Nature.”
Adebayo David Babatunde is an accountant and is the founder of Naija Adventurers, one of the famous hiking clubs in the Abuja.
Bayo, as he is popularly called, told 21st CENTURYCHRONICLE that he and a few of friends started the group in 2016.
“Looking at the beautiful mountain formations and sceneries in and around the capital city, we couldn’t help but visit them.”
Bayo said when he and his friend, Henry Goin and a few others started hiking, only a few people showed interest.
“On our first Hike ever, only seven friends came. This is because they didn’t quite understand what going on a hike meant. Some thought they couldn’t cope, but as time went on, our numbers began to grow,’’ he said.
He said presently, they have up to 500 people participating in every hike.
“Many of the people who would on their first day say, ah! I won’t come again after today, maybe because they were exhausted from walking and climbing, soon discovered that what hiking offered them was much more than climbing mountains or walking in the bush.
“They enjoyed the fellowship, and so even though on their first day they vowed never to come out for hiking again came again and many have remained permanent members of the club.”
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE sought to know what else goes on apart from roaming the bushes and climbing mountains and Bayo said members of Naija Adventurers enjoy planned tours, explorations, camping, picnics, kayaking, games nights and paintball activities, some of which take place outside the FCT and members self-fund them.
David Okechukwu, an outdoor enthusiast also hikes with one of the Hiking Clubs, Muster Tribe. He told 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE that he decided to join a hike group because he thought that would help him keep in shape.
Okechukwu said he discovered that there was so much laughter and friendship to share in the group and so he got stuck.
“I found more fun than just exercise but the fun part hasn’t distracted me from my initial goal of working on my body,” he said, and added “don’t you see how I look now? I wasn’t as good looking as this! I have achieved my goal of losing weight and gained more friends in the process.”
Success Nkechi, a 25-year-old female hiker who spoke to 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE said she used to be afraid of heights, but hiking helped her to overcome her Phobia.
“A friend of mine invited me and when we got to the foot of the mountain, I became too afraid to go up. So I stayed back and waited for them to return.”
Success said she didn’t have an idea how long it would take for the hikers to return when she made the decision to wait at the foot of the mountain and she ended up waiting for three hours that seemed like eternity.
“I was bored and so I decided that I would follow them up the next time. When the day came, after we had climbed a little, I became very scared but the energy with which the rest of the group carried on encouraged me. I even saw children and dogs going all the way and was challenged to push myself.
“As I continued to come out every other weekend, I gradually overcame my fear of heights and now, I enjoy the view of the city whenever I get to the summit of the mountain every hike day.”
Tersoo Samson Akula is a Development consultant who works in the philanthropy sector and lives in Abuja. Akula hikes with Kasejene Etcetera in Abuja but told 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE that he has been a hiker with Naija Adventurers since 2016.
“One day, after a hike, five of my friends and I decided that this was a good thing we had to take back home for others to also enjoy.”
He said the group had its first activity in December of that year and the response and acceptance by the people was massive. Akula pointed out that the group which started mainly for physical fitness purposes and promotion of friendship, soon took up other activities that seek to promote environmental protection, and tourism development.
The present state of insecurity in the country has affected hiking activities, according to Bayo, who lamented that a lot of his active members are often reluctant to come out and explore the mountains for fear of the unknown.
To address this concern, Bayo said the group goes on easier hike locations which are mostly in and close to the city centre and also have some security personnel on the trail.
He said in spite this security challenge, the group is still able to hold activities and members have derived many benefits like reconnecting with old friends and also making new ones.
“Some have even met their spouses through hiking and we are glad about it.”
