Destination of the Week: Farin Ruwa Water Falls

The name “Farin Ruwa” translates as “White waters” in Hausa language, which suggests the typical natural beauty exuded by the waterfalls. The clean, crystal clear showers, which is often regarded as sacred by the locals, can be seen hitting the foot rocks of towering granite hills, blowing a cloud of water vapour at its plunge pool.

This is undeniably one of the most irresistible sights in Nigeria. Standing on the polished brown-coloured rocks paving its foot-slopes and looking up to its crest about 150m high, its awe and grandeur engulfs one’s mind in thoughts of admiration and respect for a creative God.
The waterfall marks the south-western drop-off of Jos Plateau and it also marks the boundary between Bokkos and Wamba local council of Plateau and Nassarawa States respectively. Its limpid waters spring from Bokkos area (Plateau state), winds through rugged terrains of granitic and volcanic rocks; and descends a scarp face 150m high to continue its tortuous journey down the Benue trough.

The falls is located in an area of heavy rainfall due to the mountainous nature of the area. The escarpment forces moisture-bearing winds to rise and deposit their moisture content on the mountains. This has given the Farin Ruwa falls an almost constant volume of water supply during the rainy season in central Nigeria beginning from March–November. The decrease in the volume of water of the falls is noticed during the dry season of Nigeria which occurs from December–March.But the decrease is for a short while as the falls regains its normal water volume when the rainy season begins.

According to history, Farin Ruwa Fall was discovered by the then British colonial masters of Nigeria in the 1950s. A Rest House was established in Gur Hill at Marhai village not too far away from the fall in order to exploit it commercially. To protect its rich heritage, the colonial administration also gazetted it and named it Marhai Forest Reserve. However, over the years, Farin Ruwa was relegated to obscurity until the creation of Nassarawa State in 1996.