Nigeria theme park offers escape from biting economy

Guests poured in through an entry gate on the ground floor of a castle. Inside, vendors dressed as medieval court jesters sold balloons.

At Magicland, a privately owned theme park in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, the country's recurrent crises -- from galloping inflation to armed insurgencies -- fade into the background, at least for one afternoon.

Nigeria's fragile middle class has been battered by two years of soaring prices amid the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

At Magicland, one content creator from Borno state -- where international headlines typically centre on jihadist attacks -- filmed TikTok dances as a brightly coloured big wheel towered behind her.

Others took to the carnival rides, including 26-year-old public health worker Mary Adeleke, who said she'd once been an adventurous person.

"But as I grew up, with how the country's structured and all the struggles, I lost that part of me," she said, adding she was on a quest to regain it, one roller coaster at a time.

The west African nation is, by some metrics, a success story: a tech powerhouse, a major exporter of global cultural staples like Afrobeats, and the continent's leading oil producer.

But rampant inflation, a cost of living crisis and continued insecurity have proven hard for much of the country's 228 million people.

Walking out of a swinging pendulum ride, Victor Bamidele, 28, offered a review.

"I thought it was something that would take my soul out of my body," the medical device supplier said in typically colourful Nigerian English.

"But it definitely did not," he added. "It was quite enjoyable."

Victoria Friday drove 30 minutes from Nasarawa state. She paid the 1,500 naira ($1) entry fee, but seemed less keen on buying ride tickets.

In a move relatable to budget-conscious young people the world over, the 20-year-old stylist said she "just came to snap my friend" -- taking photos for social media among the colourful backgrounds.

"Our prices are still very low," said park manager Paul Oko.

"Those who don't earn much can still come," he added, though he admitted the number of visitors has declined.

Source: AFP