Unique Date Ideas to Try in Nigeria

Take a weekend off and plan a road trip! Drive around off the beaten track and let your adventure unfold. Try different dishes from the various places you visit, learn more about the history of the people and make new memories on the road.

If your date is the adventurous type, particularly if you live near the ocean (Port Harcourt, Calabar or Lagos), you could rent a boat and spend a day at sea. You could try your luck at fishing (a romantic dinner can follow with your fresh catch), or go snorkeling and discover the beauty under water.

No matter where you live in Nigeria, there are many picturesque places where you can enjoy a picnic. For people in Abuja, the Jabi Lake is fantastic; you can even enjoy a boat ride on the lake. A little further south of Abuja is also Oguta Lake. Other dreamy places to unpack your hamper are the Agodi Gardens or the University Gardens in Ibadan, or Freedom Park in Lagos, where you can also often catch an art event.

After a dry spell, stage plays are making a big comeback in Nigeria. Most universities with Theatre Arts departments hold one or two plays a week. You can also take your date to an open-air concert and hear some of Nigeria’s best Afrobeat tunes.

From Lagos and Benin to Ibadan, Abuja, Port Harcourt and even good old Abeokuta, there are several biking groups in Nigeria that you and your date can join and have a wild ride on the roads of Nigeria.

Many coffee houses are popping up all over big cities in Nigeria. Paired with some of the country’s top art galleries, it’s a stimulating combination of caffeine and culture. You and your date can spend a couple of hours exploring some of the many cafés and comparing coffee roasts, then use that energy boost to hit the exhibits and art shows and discuss what you saw.

Nigeria is famous for its vibrant nightlife and bustling music scene. Aside for drinks and cocktails, most clubs and lounges offer karaoke services as well. What better way to have a laugh and explore each other’s fun side than by enjoying a few drinks and singing your favourite songs at top volume?

A lot of galleries offer art lessons where you can get creative and learn new arts and crafts, like pencil drawing, batik making, applique art and more. There are several art lessons you can book, and you’ll leave with new skills and the art pieces you created.

Although a lot of the people on the floats of Nigerian masquerades and festivals are initiates, strangers are always welcome. You can join a masquerade group and enjoy the music and dancing, and learn one or two things about African spirituality.

Most dance studios in Nigeria, aside for fitness services, offer classes during which you can learn the steps to different traditional dances from around Nigeria. You’ll learn more about the country’s many, diverse cultures and you’ll get closer to your partner.

If you’re in Lagos, this is a particularly great idea because not many people are familiar with kayaking. It’s an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and learn something new together.

There are different groups springing up across the country whose sole aim is to explore different parts of Nigeria. You can book a weekend away with any of the groups and learn more about Nigeria, its cities and culture, the environment and, of course, the person you’re dating.