Plateau State

Plateau State is a state in North Central part of Nigeria. With natural formations of rocks, hills and waterfalls, it is one of the coldest states in Nigeria.

Understand

Gog and Magog Rocks located in Jos, Plateau State

This is the 12th largest state in Nigeria. It is known as the home of peace and tourism. It shares boundary with Bauchi State, Kaduna State, Nasarawa State and Taraba State.

The Jos Plateau is the source of many rivers in northern Nigeria including the Kaduna, Gongola, Hadeja and Damaturu rivers.

Climate

Though situated in the tropical zone, a higher altitude means that Plateau State has a near temperate climate with an average temperature of between 13 and 22 °C. Harmattan winds cause the coldest weather between December and February. The warmest temperatures usually occur in the dry season months of March and April.

Cities

• 1 Jos — one of the oldest cities in Nigeria, it is the home of many cultures
• 2 Bukuru
• 3 Lamingo
• 4 Wase —

Other destinations

• 1 Jos Wildlife Park — 8 km² of savannah bush, with monkeys, elephants, and lions

Get in

By plane

You can get in by plane into Plateau State. They have various airports in the state. Yakubu Gowon Airport and Jos Airport are the two popular airport in the state.

By bus

You can get in by bus into the state. There are various bus terminals in the state. You can use luxurious buses like GIGM or local buses

Get around

By bus

You can move around in the state via buses especially for long distance journey.

See

The National Museum in Jos is renowned for its archaeology and The Pottery Hall has an exceptional collection of finely crafted pottery from all over Nigeria. The Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture is adjacent, with life-size replicas of a variety of buildings, from the walls of Kano and to a Tiv village.

Jos Zoo has a good stock of animals, birds and reptiles.

Assop Falls, about 64 km from Jos city on the road to Abuja, this is a tourist stop for picnicking, swimming and enjoying the scenery.

Kurra Falls 77 km southeast of Jos is a beautiful area of rocks hills, and lakes, ideal for boating, camping, and rock climbing. There is tourist accommodation available.

Wase Rock is a striking dome-shaped inselberg which juts out of the ground to a height of 450 m about 216 km southeast of Jos near Wase town. It is one of the only five breeding places for the white pelican in Africa.

The Shere Hills include some of the Plateau’s highest peaks. They are a range of hills to the east of Jos which have views of the city below, and attract mountain climbers and hill walkers.

Riyom Rock is a rock formation 25 km southwest of Jos, near Riyom town.

Kahwang Rock Formation is a set of basalt rocks in Bangai village of Bachi District.

Do

Pandam Game Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary. It is a protected region of natural habitat and is home to hippopotami, crocodiles, and snakes of all types. Local park rangers track local game on foot and guide people to the best viewing areas. This area is still virtually unspoiled by human contact. It offers sports fishing facilities and tourist accommodation is available.

Miango Rest House is a retreat and conference center located in Miango established by missionaries in 1914. The Rest House provides visitors with plenty of opportunities to hike in the surrounding area. The property also features a man-made dam, a farm and is located at the foot of Mount Sanderson that provides a beautiful view of the area.

Cope

• 1 Ginza Medical Center, 38A Tafawa Balewa St, Jos, ☏ +234 7036550856. 9AM. Health care center in Jos (updated Oct 2024)

Stay safe

There have been several major attacks in Plateau State, mostly in Jos, including riots and bombings by jihadist Boko Haram insurgents. Plateau State has been a venue of clashes between the minority Muslim Hausa-Fulani herders and predominantly Christian farmers like the other states of Middle Belt area of Nigeria. There have been cases of attacks away from the state capital, including attacks attributed to Fulani herdsmen. These included a series of attacks carried out on Christian communities in Plateau State from June 2018 onward which were estimated to have taken the lives of at least 200 people. In 2022, a bandit gang attacked several villages.

Go next

• Nasarrawa
• Bauch
• Kaduna
• Taraba