Mount Patti

Mount Patti.Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.

Coming down Mount Patti in the mornings after my night shift was always exciting for me. The breath taking sight of the town from above is always a sight to behold. Its sharp bends was always nerve racking. For four years I went every day up and down Mount Patti yet I did not get past my phobia for heights.

 

Mount Patti.Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.

After 3years away from Mount Patti I began to miss the little things I took for granted while there. My recent visit back helped me to caption those little things I carved for while away. The sunset in the morning was one of the things I missed most with its mirror reflection on river Benue and river Niger. Nigeria’s longest river. 

 

Shot from Mount Patti.Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.

What about the bamboo tree standing tall and strong ready at all times to shade you from the scourging sun. Its fruit enrich with vitamin C always give me strength when I am hungry and no car to go down the hills to get something to eat .The historic Lord Lugard rest house from the Colonial time. Masts of different telecommunication and three media houses. One of them happened to be where I spent most of my four years. 

Walking down Mount Patti was always refreshing in the mornings with the sounds of different birds singing, monkeys jumping from trees to trees and the breath of morning dew was and will always be priceless to me.

 

Foot of Mount Patti.Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.

Mount Patti is a hill in the center of a town called Lokoja in central Nigeria. A town where the river Benue and the longest river in Nigeria, River Niger, meet and both flow as one. It’s about 3hours drive to Abuja Nigeria’s capital. It’s about 20minutes drive from the city center and about 10minutes drive from the mount foot with a lot of sharp, twists and turns along the road. Mount Patti has a fantastic height of about 458.3metres above sea-level with about 15 square kilometers in land mass. The sight from the top of Mount Patti is a must see for every visitor. It gives a unique and aerial view of the town, the confluences of the river Niger and Benue and of course the sunrise if you are an early bird if not the sunset. Who knows you may be lucky to see some monkeys.

River Niger and River Benue.Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.

 To the people of Lokoja, Mount Patti means different things to them. Some don't see it as any thing, while to some it reminds them of how it protected their forefathers during the days of inter-tribal war. Many of them flee from their houses to the hill for safety.  Others see Mount Patti as a mystery considering its natural spring scattered round the hills, the thick forest, wild life and the land mark which many have turned into their farm lands and hunting ground for hunters to hunt for animals.

 

Mount Patti.Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.

According to Constance Nnuekwu station Manager CTV Lokoja

  

“Mount Patti is special, the name its self is special and historical. It became popular during the region of Lord Lugard in 1914 especially after he built his rest house. The then mistress of Lord Lugard, Flora Shaw who later became his wife was a Reuter’s correspondent at that time. Coined the name  Nigeria from Mount Patti. This has place Mount Patti in history”

Lord Lugard was the 1st Governor General of the colony and protectorate of Nigeria. The rest house is still standing till date. The house was recently renovated but it still maintains its original bricks. The rest house is one of the historical relics that will be show cased at the celebration of Nigeria’s 100years coming up in January 2014.

Lord Lugard’s rest house Mount Patti. Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.

 Mount Patti is also home to the Baobab tree. The Baobab tree can grow up to 6000 thousand years. It can be found in many savanna regions all over Africa. The baobab tree at Mount Patti is one of the oldest in Kogi state. The tree is also called tree of life. The tree saves as a platform for visitors or tourist to endorse their presence by writing their names on the tree and year of visit.

When next you pay a visit to Mount Patti don’t forget to endorse your name and date on the Baobab tree.

Baobab tree Mount Patti.Photography.Agatha Fältström's Blog.Copyright.