Lighthouses of Nigeria

The western African nation of Nigeria faces south into the northeastern corner of the Gulf of Guinea. A former British colony, Nigeria has been independent since 1960. The country has become a leading producer of oil and gas, but there has been unrest in the coastal regions where the wells are located.

The great delta of the Niger River occupies most of the central coast of the country, and three of the lighthouses mark entrances to the river system. The Bonny River Light, shown at right, is one of these three.

Aids to navigation in Nigeria are maintained by the Nigerian Ports Authority. Based in Britain, the port authority is one of several agencies privatized by the Nigerian government since 2003.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Online List of Lights - Nigeria
Photos of lights in the Lagos and Bonny River areas taken by Capt. Peter ("Captain Peter") Mosselberger and posted by Alexander Trabas. Thanks to Captain Peter for his permission to use the photo at right.
Afrikanische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Postcards from the collection of Klaus Huelse.


Bonny River Light, March 2005
copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission
Rivers State Lighthouse
Bonny River
Date unknown (probably 1950s). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 28 m (92 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is steel gray. Captain Peter's photo appears above, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The lighthouse marks the entrance to Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State and a major base for the oil industry. Located on the east side of the entrance to the Bonny River, at the eastern edge of the Niger River Delta. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS NIG-002; Admiralty D3940; NGA 25064.

Bayelsa State Lighthouse
Palm Point
1917. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); one long (1.2 s) whte flash every 10 s. The tower is described by NGA as a white metal pile structure. No photo available, but a Google satellite view shows a pyramidal skeletal structure at least 25 m (82 ft) tall. The light marks the southernmost point of the Niger River Delta. Located on the east side of the entrance to the Nun River, one of the many branches of the Niger. Site status unknown. ARLHS NIG-004; Admiralty D3930; NGA 25056.

Delta State Lighthouse
Escravos River (Oidigbe)
Date unknown (probably 1950s). Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. Tower described by NGA as a metal framework tower with a black band. No photo available, and the tower has not been located in Google's satellite view of the area. The Escravos River is the site of large and controversial natural gas terminals; residents protesting this industrialization have seized the facilities and held hostages several times. Located on the east side of the river entrance near Oidigbe, on the west side of the Niger River Delta. Site status unknown. ARLHS NIG-003; Admiralty D3900; NGA 25036.

Lagos State Lighthouses
Lagos East Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); flashing red light. Light mounted on the roof of a ramshackle 3-story concrete signal station. Trabas has posted a closeup photo by Captain Peter, but clouds obscure Google's most recent satellite view. Located on the east mole of Lagos harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS NIG-005; Admiralty D3878; NGA 24992.
* Necom House
Date unknown (building completed 1979). Active (?); focal plane 160 m (525 ft); white flash every 30 s. Light mounted atop the communications tower on the roof of the 32-story Necom House. Lateef 'deji Oyedokun has a 2008 photo, and a photo taken from the harbor is available. Necom House is the headquarters of the former Nigerian External Communications (Necom), now privatized as part of Nitel, Ltd. The powerful light has a range of 65 km (40 mi) and serves as the landfall light for Lagos. It has been dropped from the 2010 NGA List, but we haven't seen any notice of its deactivation. Located on the waterfront in downtown Lagos. Site and building open, tower closed. Admiralty D3871; NGA 25028.
Beecroft Point (Lagos) (2)
1891 (station established 1877). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); two white flashes, separated by 3.2 s, every 15 s. 27 m (89 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white with a broad red horizontal band below the gallery. A photo is at right, Paul Kalu has a closeup photo, another good photo is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Lagos, the colonial capital of Nigeria, is a large city and major port in the southwestern corner of the country. Located about 1.5 km (1 mi) northwest of the point of land at the western entrance to Lagos Harbour. Site status unknown. ARLHS NIG-001; Admiralty D3870; NGA 24968.

Beecroft Point Light
Beecroft Point (Lagos) Light, November 2008
anonymous Panoramio Creative Commons photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Cameroon | West: Benin

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Posted September 23, 2005. Checked and revised August 25, 2011. Lighthouses: 6. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.