How GUS Exposes Nigeria’s Abundant Tourism Destinations

Nigeria’s foremost television reality show, the Gulder Utimate Search, owned by Nigerian Breweries Plc, has kept Nigerian Television viewers spellbound for 11 consecutive seasons.

It is undoubtedly become Nigeria’s major tourism compass constantly drawing attention to the country’s hitherto unexplored tourism potentials.

When The Search made its debut in 2004 at Snake Island, Lagos, not many Nigerians and indeed non-Nigerians alike knew that the place, christened Snake Island had little or nothing to do with snakes but its snake-like shaped topography.

While this was fast becoming the talking point as many Nigerians were curious to visit the island, the Search was in 2005 taken to the hills of Obudu in Cross River State.

Obudu was hitherto famous for cattle rearing and was so named- Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort but the Search drew attention to the fact that in addition to its very healthy cattle population, Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort is a four daily changing season settlement which sits atop a very dangerously steep mountain located six hours away from Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

In 2006 and 2007 Gulder Ultimate Search was hosted at the jungles of the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR in Edo State and Shere Hills in Plateau State that hosted the third and the fourth editions respectively.

In 2008, the search was taken to Awgu Hills in Enugu state while another success was recorded.

In 2009, Nigeria and indeed the world was exposed to Omodo Forest, Aagba in Osun State, when the 6th edition of Gulder Ultimate Search was held.

In 2010 the show was taken to Omo Forest, J4, in Ogun State where the 7th edition was held.

In 2011, GUS journeyed back to Edo State, this time to Kukuruku Hills, Egbetua Quarters, Ososo for the 8th Season.

Usaka Jungle in Obot Akara, Akwa Ibom State was literarily rediscovered when the Gulder Ultimate Search was held there in 2012 and 2013.

It was suspended after it took TV Viewers on another journey of discovery to Aguleri Forest and its surrounded tributaries.

This year, without officially giving away the location, perhaps because of challenging security reasons, discerning TV viewers have traced the location to Epe, on the outskirts of Lagos given the second episode of the show which revealed some landmarks in the city in addition to the end credits which pays tribute to the vigilante association of Nigeria, Epe division.

There is no doubt that the GUS has always attracted large TV viewership! The different editions have been highly acclaimed for their creativity and originality of content.

The successes recorded has continuously put Gulder Ultimate Search on the world map and most significantly, the Search continues to provide a compass to the abundant Nigeria’s tourism potential attractions.