Caboose

If you’re interested in visiting the Sukur kingdom you’ll find some background information at sukur.info, written by some anthropologists who worked there.

I put together a map of the area, based on the Federal Survey’s 1969 Madagali NW and SW sheets. It took quite a bit of effort to scan the map in, calibrate it, convert from the weird Nigeria East Belt Grid (measured in feet, of course) to UTM grid (GPS-compatible) and turn it into a nice PDF. It will print out on two sheets of A4 which you can stick together.

A few things to note:

• You should get written permission from a National Commission for Museums and Monuments office before visiting Sukur. There’s one in Maiduguri and others in Abuja and most state capitals.
• It helps if you speak at least some Hausa, many of the Sukur people speak no English.
• Getting to Sukur isn’t as difficult as the guidebooks make out, if you leave Maiduguri early you’ll be at the palace by midafternoon.
• It might be a good idea to spend the night in one of the villages at the bottom and then walk up to Sukur in the morning, when it’s cooler.
• Take something to use as padding, the bamboo beds are very hard.

To get to Sukur:

• Maiduguri seems to be the most convenient place to start.
• Take a bush taxi from Maiduguri to Bama, from the Bama motor park. Alternatively you may be able to get a bus all the way to Madagali (probably heading to Mubi).
• From Bama you should be able to pick up a bus to Madagali.
• You can either drop at Madagali or at the turn-off for Mildo (there’s a sign advertising Sukur World Heritage site). We hired a minibus from Madagali to Mildo for 1000 Naira, on the way back we took okadas for 200 Naira each.
• Go to the museums office by the district chief’s house to sign in. If the office is closed ask someone to show you to the museum’s guide’s house.
• You’ll be guided up the mountain by one of the NCMM guides. It’s not an especially strenuous hike but steep in parts and very hot if the sun’s out.