KANO, NIGERIA’S NORTHERN CITY7 min read

NIGERIAN SERIES, DAY 8

KANO

Kano, Nigeria’s Northern City. After an incredible day yesterday, Kano had set a very high bar and was soon becoming the shock surprise of my travels.

“I could not have been more wrong about a region in my life!”

Who would have thought they could experience so much in a place generally unvisited.

THE MARKET CHAOS

First up we headed to the local market. Its true what they say, there ain’t no market like an African market! Calling it chaotic is generous. Somehow, in the middle of it all, I ended up getting my prayer hat ironed — new for me too — by a local kid using a coal-heated iron straight out of Henry the VIII’s kitchen.

Kano, Nigeria’s Northern City

MY ANNUAL STREET SHAVE

Now, I don’t exactly have Gandalf-level facial hair but my bum fluff was no match for the local barber. In what was easily one of the best shaves I’ve ever had — and for the princely sum of $0.10 — he left my face smoother than a scammer’s sales pitch.
Of course, a crowd gathered around to watch. But as with everything here, the smiles and warmth made it feel like a party, not a spectacle.

Kano, Nigeria’s Northern City

THE TANNERY EXPERIENCE

If the market was chaotic, the tannery was hellish. The first thing that hits you is the smell — an overwhelming stench of open sewers, rivers of rubbish, and whatever unholy mix ferments in the toxic runoff from tanning leather. I dry wretched several times, and struggled to maintain composure and respect in front of the people who call this place home.

Inside, men worked in unbearable heat, skinning crocodiles and cobras, fermenting the hides, and drying them under the punishing sun.

The worst part? This leather — made in conditions you wouldn’t wish on anyone — will eventually be stitched into luxury bags and shoes sold for thousands of dollars. None of that money will trickle back here.

Kano, Nigeria’s Northern City

THE CENTRAL MOSQUE: A SOMBER VISIT

Later, we visited Kano’s Central Mosque — a beautiful yet haunted place. This was the site of one of Boko Haram’s worst atrocities in 2014, when a bomb exploded during prayers. As survivors rushed out, militants waited in the car park with machine guns killing over 120 people.

Despite this dark chapter, the city today feels overwhelmingly safe. The locals are proud, resilient, and determined not to be defined by tragedy.

Kano, Nigeria’s Northern City

DAHAL HILL: THE VIEW AND THE VICES

We finished the day by hiking up Dahal Hill — a massive rock outcrop where Kano first began and a perfect place to end out time in the north. The views at sunset were nothing short of stunning, giving a clear 360 degree view of the entire city. But scattered among the rocks were empty packs of drugs and syrup bottles, left behind by young guys who come here at night seeking an escape of what can be a difficult place to live.

I spoke with a local teenager taking in the view. He talked openly about the lack of opportunities, the struggle to find work, and how drugs have quietly become an epidemic here.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We often get an idea of a place before we even arrive. But I was never more wrong than I was about Northern Nigeria. The people here have been nothing short of amazing — welcoming, kind, and eager to share their city’s real story. Kano, you surprised me in the best way possible and I cannot wait to return.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
172/229

NEXT UP

Back to Lagos for proper chaos! Click to read.

This post is part of the Nigerian Series, for the entire series click here or for episode 1, click here.

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