Have you seen the Mpape Crushed Rock? The new Abuja beauty spot (Video)

An abandoned quarry in Nigeria has become a tourist spot after images of the place were posted on social media earlier August.

The rocky cliffs climbing into a blue sky, a moss-lined footpath, small green hills and a lake that shimmers in the sun are quite breath-taking and a set of images shared on micro-blogging site, Twitter earlier last month has earned more than a thousand likes.

Within few days, the site known as Crushed Rock, in Mpape – a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, was crowded.

There has been a DJ stand, food vendors, hundreds of sun-bathing selfie-takers – and even a band of classical musicians.
Nigerians are not generally known to be outdoor lovers – the weather is very hot in the north and quite humid in the south.

Although, there is a growing community of hikers around Abuja inspired by the many expatriates living in the political city.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a part to play in encouraging these young middle-class Nigerians to explore the hills in the country’s rocky central region.

The lockdown, which prevented people from travelling elsewhere, has meant that places closer to home are being explored.

The area around Mpape, which means “rock” in the local Gwari language, supplied much of the stone used to change Abuja from a small village in the 1980s into the Nation’s capital city.

According to BBC Hausa, “The quarry has existed for more than 10 years,” said Mpape resident Courage Ebenz, who is somewhat bemused by the sudden influx of city-dwellers.

Nigeria has an abundance of sites of natural beauty, but this “man-made” location has its own appeal – with three main tiers that each give a beautiful view of the water.

Watch some clips of the beautiful Mpape Crush Rock below…