In our short time in Nigeria (as a married couple), Sheila and I have developed a reputation…we are “those people that are always inviting people out to do outdoorsy activities…” A few weeks ago, Sheila and I discovered the National Children’s Park and Zoo in Abuja. For the past two years, people had been telling me there was a zoo in Abuja but I did not believe them. On a slow Saturday, we decided to venture to discover this secret zoo in Abuja. Its location is spectacular as it is at the base of Aso Rock, the picturesque rock cropping that rises out of the soul of Abuja. However, the animals were few. And sadly, those animals looked as they had seen a better day…The zoo was extremely disappointing. The park section of the zoo, on the other hand was well maintained with a football pitch, playground and benches for a picnic. Sheila and I decided that for the next outdoor outing, we would invite people out to the Park and Zoo.

This past weekend was Nigerian Independence and a perfect time for a group outing in the park. So Sheila and I invited friends for a fun filled day in the park. We had food, games and music. And no Nigerian gathering is complete without music. And funny enough, we had multiple speakers playing varying types of music – again no Nigerian gathering is complete without dueling speakers! We had the usually games of football (soccer that is) and corn hole.

The Four Teams in the shadows of Aso Rock

But we also had an Independence Day quiz. I enjoy quizzes and I think our guests were equally delighted with the competition. The guests divided into four teams to compete against each other. In the end, we had one clear winner, a tie for second place and a third place team that was “happy to be outside.” It was a great day outside and Sheila and I are already planning our next event.