In the lovely city of Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria, Milliken Hill is a well-known tourist destination. The first road entering Enugu is located at the foot of the hill, which is roughly 100 meters above sea level and provides a lovely vantage point for a panoramic view of the city. The Iva valley, coal mines, and tunnels may all be found underneath the hills. The Milken Hill is located in Enugu North Local Government Area’s Ngwo axis. The Milliken Hill is one of Enugu’s most well-known and frequently visited hills; it is excellent for mountaineering and a preferred destination for both group and solitary activities including hiking, camping, and more.
One of the legendary tales told by people who had the good fortune to be born in or to travel to Enugu, the former capital of Eastern Nigeria, was that of Miliken Hill.
When our privileged brothers made the infrequent Christmas pilgrimages to the villages, Miliken Hill was ranked right up there with the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in the eyes of some of us who did not fall into either of the two groups mentioned above.
There were legends about the Great Zik of Africa, including how he would “transfigure” into a butterfly whenever the colonial masters came to arrest him for his vehement anti-colonial rhetoric, how he astounded Queen Elizabeth by appearing at a meeting in London shortly after his name was mentioned in a meeting intended to assassinate him.
Also, how his command of the English language baffled even the colonial masters who were looking up some of his words in the dictionary while the Great man moved on to achieve more for the liberation of his people. Miliken Hill, also known as Ugwu Miriky by those with less education, has its own piece of the legend.
The History of Milliken Hill
On their route from Awka to the central belt of Nigeria in 1908, a British expedition noticed the hill at Enugu Ngwo and reported its discovery to Lagos. The Lagos colonial authority was drawn there because of its admiration for its natural beauty and expectation of its intrinsic mineral potential. In 1909, the colonial administration dispatched a team of mining engineers to the area to search for silver, but the team instead found coal. The Europeans moved to Enugu Ngwo, which is located at the top of the hill, after coal was discovered there. The miner housing for Iva Valley Mines, Onyeama Mines, as well as Ogbete Mines and Okpara Mines is located beneath the hill.
The Miliken Hill Road
The 4.8 km long Milliken Hill Road was built in 1909 and named for the chief engineer who created it after coal was discovered within the Hilliken Hill. The road goes through the foot of the hill, which is bordered by a deep valley, and has roughly 33 sharp bends. Remains of coal mines and their picturesque tunnels can be seen below the hills. Following its initial construction in 1909, the Milliken Hill Road underwent its first reconstruction in 2018. Drivers entering and leaving the city of Enugu had no choice but to use the milliken hill road, which has the second highest accident rate in the state after the onyeama hill due to its curving nature, prior to the construction of an alternate route connecting to Enugu from the Ngwo axis of the state.
A driving trip introduces a new user to Enugu’s stunning, verdant landscape. a sensation that many have compared to a natural roller coaster. The road continues to New Market, Enugu’s second-largest market, and Polo Park Shopping Mall, one of West Africa’s largest malls, both of which are located on Abakaliki Road.
The road also leads to the well-known Ngwo Pine forest, where rows of pine trees form a natural canopy that is perfect for picnics. The natural carpet of pine leaves adds interest because it can be used as a blanket in nature. Additionally, if you like to hike, you may hike down to the valley, where a waterfall inside a cave in nature gives for a nice visual treat.
