Tourist Attractions in Nigeria

There are several tourist attractions in Nigeria, each with its own uniqueness, nature, structure and historical background.

This is a list of notable tourist attractions in Nigeria, arranged in alphabetical order.

A

Agbokim Waterfalls is situated some 17 kilometres from Ikom, a Local Government Area of Cross River State that’s not far from the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

Agbokim Waterfalls which consists of seven streams, each cascading over steep cliff which provides seven-faced falls, is and about 315 kilometers from Calabar.

Agbokim Waterfalls is actually on the Cross River, where it descends in terraces, through the tropical rain forest.

Agbokim Waterfalls green vegetation

The waterfall is surrounded by lush greenery, valleys and steep hills which are enveloped in a rainbow-like aura. Its freshness is captivating and has an alluring serenity.

This is a spectacular falling sheet of water, attractive and impressive tourist spots and a highly recommended place for picnics.

It is the ideal location for a vacation to getting back into nature and regaining your creative productivity and general well being.

When to visit Agbokim Waterfalls

Agbokim Waterfalls is most spectacular during the rainy season when on a lucky day you have a chance to see the rainbow across the face of the waterfall. Its proximity to neighboring Cameroon offers a unique opportunity for cross-border experience.

B

Biu Plateau, highlands in northeastern Nigeria, covering an area of approximately 2,000 square miles (5,200 square km) with an average elevation of 2,300 feet (700 m). Its highest point is Wiga Hill (2,693 feet [821 m]), and its most prominent relief features are the many well-defined, extinct volcanic cones. Numerous tributaries of the Gongola River—including the Hawal, Ruhu, Gungeru, and Ndivana rivers—rise on the plateau and deeply dissect its surface. While Biu’s southern and western sides are quite steep, the plateau slopes more gradually in the north onto the Bauchi Plains and the Chad Basin.

The Biu Plateau’s thin soils, scarcity of water in the dry season, and relative inaccessibility have discouraged human settlement there. Most of its upland areas were first settled in the early 19th century by non-Muslim groups trying to escape the ravages of the Fulani jihad (holy war). The plateau’s Bura (Pabir) inhabitants are almost entirely non-Muslim. The tsetse-free plateau has lured some Fulani cattle herdsmen and has provided grazing ground for its local peoples’ dwarf cattle, horses, donkeys, goats, and sheep. Sorghum and peanuts (groundnuts) are the chief crops cultivated by these subsistence farmers. Biu town is the plateau’s largest settlement and its principal trade centre.

BAR BEACH LAGOS

This is the main beach on Victoria Island, alongside Ahmadu Bello Way and one of the more popular beaches in Lagos State. Bar Beach is the main (inner city) beach and runs from the Institute of Oceanography in the west to the Eko Hotel in the east.

Bar Beach is named after the sand bars that characterised the coastline of Lagos, not because of the myriad of bars that run along the beach itself (a popular misconception!).

Lagos Bar Beach, the most accessible and most visited beach in Lagos especially during festive periods, has somewhat lost most of its attractions due to the massive concrete works being done along the coastline.

However, those who do not mind its artificiality will still find the environment soothing. Horse riding, swimming, beach football and picnic activities still go on at the beach and those who are prepared to go further down to Kuramo side will find it relatively calmer and private.

Leisure providers at the beach still set up beach seat which they rent out to visitor, though they are no longer as preponderant as they used to be.

Boat Riding
Normally organise for single couples or groups and charged accordingly.

Benue River, also spelled Bénoué, river in western Africa, longest tributary of the Niger, about 673 miles (1,083 km) in length. It rises in northern Cameroon as the Bénoué at about 4,400 feet (1,340 m) and, in its first 150 miles (240 km), descends more than 2,000 feet (600 m) over many falls and rapids, the rest of its course being largely uninterrupted. During flood periods its waters are linked via the Mayo-Kebbi tributary with the Logone, which flows into Lake Chad. Below the Mayo-Kebbi the river is navigable all year by boats drawing less than 2.5 feet (0.75 m) and by larger boats for more restricted periods. A considerable volume of imports (particularly petroleum) is transported by river, and cotton and peanuts (groundnuts) are exported in the same way from the Chad region. Between Yola and Makurdi the Benue is joined by the Gongola, and it then flows east and south for about 300 miles (480 km).

Benue RiverBenue River, near Jimeta, Nigeria.

A sandbar crosses the Benue at its confluence with the Niger, allowing only about 2 feet (0.6 m) of water when the flow is minimal. River traffic moving upstream from the delta is frequently delayed at Lokoja, Nigeria, waiting for a sufficient depth of water, and is obliged to return before the level falls too low.

CHAD BASIN

The Chad Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Africa, centered on Lake Chad. It has no outlet to the sea and contains large areas of desert or semi-arid savanna. The drainage basin is roughly coterminous with the sedimentary basin of the same name, but extends further to the northeast and east. The basin spans seven countries, including most of Chad and a large part of Niger. The region has an ethnically diverse population of about 30 million people as of 2011, growing rapidly.

A combination of dams, increased irrigation, climate change, and reduced rainfall are causing water shortages, contributing to terrorism and the rise of Boko Haram in the region. Lake Chad continues to shrink.

Geology

Benue trough. The northwest and east extensions lie below the Chad Basin. ("Tibesti-Cameroon Trough" is not shown.)

The geological basin, which is smaller than the drainage basin, is a Phanerozoic sedimentary basin formed during the plate divergence that opened the South Atlantic Ocean. The basin lies between the West African Craton and Congo Craton, and formed around the same time as the Benue Trough. It covers an area of about 2,335,000 square kilometres (902,000 sq mi). It merges into the Iullemmeden Basin to the west at the Damergou gap between the Aïr and Zinder massifs. The floor of the basin is made of Precambrian bedrock covered by more than 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) of sedimentary deposits.

The basin may have resulted from the intersection of an "Aïr-Chad Trough" running NW-SE and a "Tibesti-Cameroon Trough" running NE-SW. That is, the two deepest parts are an extension of the Benue Trough that runs northeast to the margin of the basin, and another extension running from below the present lake to below the Ténéré rift structure to the east of the Aïr massif. The southern part of the basin is underlain by another elongated depression. This runs in an ENE direction and extends from the Yola arm of the Benue trough.^[4]

At times, parts of the basin were below the sea. In the northeastern part of the Benue Trough where it enters the Chad Basin there are marine sediments from the Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma). These sediments seem to be considerably thicker towards the northeast. Boreholes under Maiduguri have found marine sediments 400 metres (1,300 ft) deep, lying over continental sediments 600 metres (2,000 ft) deep. The sea seems to have retreated from the western part of the basin in the Turonian (93.5–89.3 Ma). In the Maastrichtian (72.1–66 Ma) the west was non-marine, but the southeast probably was still marine. No marine sediments have been found from the Paleocene (66–56 Ma).

The eastern part of the basin, showing the Holocene "Mega Chad" lake (blue area) at its maximum size with the Chari in the south and the Benue in the south west. The modern Lake Chad is in the centre of this map, in green.

For most of the Quaternary, from 2.6 million years ago to the present, the basin seems to have been a huge, well-watered plain, with many rivers and water bodies, probably rich in plant and animal life. Towards the end of this period the climate became drier. Around 20,000-40,000 years ago, eolianite sand dunes began to form in the north of the basin. During the Holocene, from 11,000 years ago until recently, a giant "Lake Mega-Chad" covered an area of more than 350,000 square kilometres (140,000 sq mi) in the basin. It would have drained to the Atlantic Ocean via the Benue River. Stratigraphic records show that "Mega-Chad" varied in size as the climate changed, with a peak about 2,300 years ago. The remains of fish and molluscs from this period are found in what are now desert regions.

Drainage basin extent

This article or section appears to contradict itself. Please see the talk page for more information. (March 2014)

The Chad Basin covers almost 8% of the African continent, with an area of about 2,434,000 square kilometres (940,000 sq mi). It is ringed by mountains. The Aïr Mountains and the Termit Massif in Niger form the western boundary. To the northwest, in Algeria, are the Tassili n'Ajjer mountains, including the 2,158 metres (7,080 ft) Jebel Azao. The Tibesti Mountains to the north of the basin include Emi Koussi, the highest mountain in the Sahara at 3,415 metres (11,204 ft). The Ennedi Plateau lies to the northeast, rising to 1,450 metres (4,760 ft). The Ouaddaï highlands lies the east. They include the Marrah Mountains in Darfur at up to 3,088 metres (10,131 ft) in height. The Adamawa Plateau, Jos Plateau, Biu Plateau, and Mandara Mountains lie to the south.

To the west the basin is separated by a watershed from the Niger River, and to the south it is separated by a basement dome from the Benue River. Further east, watersheds separate it from the Congo Basin and the Nile.

The lowest part of the basin is not Lake Chad, but the Bodélé Depression, at a distance of 480 kilometres (300 mi) to the northeast of the lake. The Bodélé Depression is just 155 metres (509 ft) above sea level in its deepest portion, while the surface of Lake Chad is 275 metres (902 ft) above sea level.

The basin spans parts of seven countries. These are:

Country	Independent	Area within basin (km2)	% of total area of basin	% of country in basin
Algeria	1962	93,451	3.9%	3.9%
Cameroon	1960	50,775	2.1%	10.7%
Central African Republic	1960	219,410	9.2%	35.2%
Chad	1960	1,046,196	43.9%	81.5%
Niger	1960	691,473	29.0%	54.6%
Nigeria	1960	179,282	7.5%	19.4%
Sudan	1956	101,048	4.2%	4.0%
Total		2,381,635	100%

Climate and ecology

Dunes in the Erg of Bilma

The northern half of the basin is desert, containing the Ténéré desert, Erg of Bilma and Djurab Desert. South of that is the Sahel zone, dry savanna and thorny shrub savanna. The main rivers include riparian forests, flooding savannas and wetland areas. In the far south there are dry forests. Rainfall varies widely from year to year. The amount of annual rainfall is very low in the north of the basin, rising to 1,200 millimetres (47 in) in the south.

As late as 2000, the basin has remained home to large populations of wildlife. In the Sahel these include antelopes such as the addax and dama gazelle, and in the savannah there are korrigum and red-fronted gazelle. The black crowned crane and other waterbirds are found in the wetlands. There are populations of elephants, giraffes, and lions. The western black rhinoceros was once common but is now extinct. Elephants almost became extinct by the end of the nineteenth century due to European and American demand for ivory, but stocks have since recovered.^[11]

Water resources

Rivers

Yobe River catchment area showing location of the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands

The seasonal Korama River in the south of Niger does not reach Lake Chad. Nigeria includes two sub-basins that drain into Lake Chad. The Hadejia - Jama'are - Yobe sub-basin in the north contains the Hadejia and Jama'are rivers, which supply the 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi) Hadejia-Nguru wetlands. They converge to form the Yobe, which defines the border between Niger and Nigeria for 300 kilometres (190 mi), flowing into Lake Chad. About .5 cubic kilometres (0.12 cu mi) of water reaches Lake Chad annually. Construction of upstream dams and growth in irrigation have reduced water flow, and the floodplains are drying up. The Yedseram - Ngadda sub-basin further south is fed by the Yedseram River and Ngadda River, which join to form a 80 square kilometres (31 sq mi) swamp to the southwest of the lake. There is no significant water flow from the swamp to the lake.

Chari River basin

The Central African Republic (CAR) contains the sources of the Chari and Logone rivers, which flow north into the lake. The volume of water entering Chad annually from the CAR has fallen from about 33 cubic kilometres (7.9 cu mi) before the 1970s to 17 cubic kilometres (4.1 cu mi) in the 1980s. A further 3 cubic kilometres (0.72 cu mi) to 7 cubic kilometres (1.7 cu mi) of water annually flows from Cameroon into Chad via the Logone River. The Chari-Logone system accounts for about 95% of the water entering Lake Chad.

Aquifers

The basin in the Nigerian section contains an upper aquifer of Early Pleistocene alluvial deposits that are often covered by recent sand dunes, varying in thickness from 15 to 100 metres (49 to 328 ft). It consists of interbedded sands, clays and silts, with discontinuous clay lenses. The aquifer recharges from run-off and rainfall. The local people access the water with hand-dug wells and shallow boreholes, and use it for domestic use, growing vegetables and watering their livestock. Below this aquifer, separated from it by a sequence of grey to bluish-grey clays from the Zanclean, is a second aquifer at a depth of 240 to 380 metres (790 to 1,250 ft). Due to heavy pumping, since the start of the 1980s the water levels in both aquifers has been lowered, and some wells no longer function.^[12] There is a third, much lower, aquifer in Bima Sandstones that lies at a depth of 2,700 to 4,600 metres (8,900 to 15,100 ft).^[13]

Management

The Lake Chad Basin Commission was set up in 1964 by Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the four countries that contain parts of Lake Chad.^[10] About 20% of the basin, lying in these countries, is called the Conventional Basin. The Lake Chad Basin Commission manages use of water and other natural resources in this area.^[9] Although the lake fluctuates considerably in size from one year to another, the general trend has been for water levels to drop. There has been a proposal to supply water from the Congo Basin via a canal 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) long, but major political, technical, and economic challenges would have to be overcome to make this practical.^[9]

People

History

States in the Sahel / Savanna around 1750

Humans have lived in the inner Chad Basin from at least eight thousand years ago, and were engaging in agriculture and livestock management around the lake by 1000 BC. Permanent villages were established to the south of the lake by 500 BC at the start of the Iron Age. The Chad Basin contained important trade routes to the east and to the north across the Sahara. By the 5th century AD camels were being used for trans-Saharan trade via the Fezzan, or to the east via Darfur, where slaves and ivory were exchanged for salt, horses, glass beads, and, later, firearms. After the Arabs took over North Africa in the 7th and 8th

Trade and improved agricultural techniques supported more sophisticated societies, leading to the early kingdoms of the Kanem Empire, the Wadai Empire, and the , Kanem rose in the 8th century in the region to the north and east of Lake Chad. The Sayfuwa dynasty that ruled this kingdom had adopted Islam by the 12th century.^[14] The Kanem empire went into decline, shrank, and in the 14th century was defeated by Bilala invaders from the Lake Fitri region.^[16] The Kanuri people led by the Sayfuwa migrated to the west and south of the lake, where they established the Bornu Empire. By the late 16th century the Bornu empire had expanded and recaptured the parts of Kanem that had been conquered by the Bilala. Satellite states of Bornu included the Sultanate of Damagaram in the west and Baguirmi to the southeast of Lake Chad.

Abéché, capital of Wadai, in 1918 after the French had taken over

The Tunjur people founded the Wadai Empire to the east of Bornu in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the Maba people revolted and established a Muslim dynasty. At first, Wadai paid tribute to Bornu and Durfur, but by the 18th century Wadai was fully independent and had become an aggressor against its neighbors. To the west of Bornu, by the 15th century the Kingdom of Kano had become the most powerful of the Hausa Kingdoms, in an unstable truce with the Kingdom of Katsina to the north. Both of these states adopted Islam in the 15th and 16th centuries. Both were absorbed into the Sokoto Caliphate during the Fulani War of 1805, which threatened Bornu itself.

During the Berlin Conference in 1884-85 Africa was carved up between the European colonial powers, defining boundaries that are largely intact with today's post-colonial states. On 5 August 1890 the British and French concluded an agreement to clarify the boundary between French West Africa and what would become Nigeria. A boundary was agreed along a line from Say on the Niger to Barruwa on Lake Chad, but leaving the Sokoto Caliphate in the British sphere. Parfait-Louis Monteil was given charge of an expedition to discover where this line actually ran. On 9 April 1892 he reached Kukawa on the shore of the lake.^[24] Over the next twenty years a large part of the Chad Basin was incorporated by treaty or by force into French West Africa. On 2 June 1909 the Wadai capital of Abéché was occupied by the French.^[25] The remainder of the basin was divided by the British in Nigeria who took Kano in 1903, and the Germans in Kameroun. The countries of the basin regained their independence between 1956 and 1962, retaining the colonial administrative boundaries.

Population

People at a coronation in Chad, 2005

As of 2011, over 30 million people lived in the Chad Basin. The population is growing rapidly. Ethnic groups include Kanuri, Maba, Buduma, Hausa, Kanembu, Kotoko, Bagger, Haddad, Kuri, Fulani and Manga. The largest cities are Kano and Maiduguri in Nigeria, Maroua in Cameroon, N'Djamena in Chad and Diffa in Niger.

Economy

The main economic activities are farming, herding and fishing. At least 40% of the rural population of the basin lives in poverty and routinely face chronic food shortages.                                       Crop production based on rain is possible only in the southern belt. Flood recession agriculture is practiced around Lake Chad and in the riverine wetlands. Nomadic herders migrate with their animals into the grasslands of the northern part of the basin for a few weeks during each short rainy season, where they intensively graze the highly nutritious grasses. When the dry season starts they move back south, either to grazing lands around the lakes and floodplains, or to the savannas further to the south.

In the 2000-01 period, fisheries in the Lake Chad basin provided food and income to more than 10 million people, with a harvest of about 70,000 tons. Fisheries have traditionally been managed by a system where each village has recognized rights over a defined part of the river, wetland or lake, and fishers from elsewhere must seek permission and pay a fee to use this area. The governments only enforced rules and regulations to a limited extent. Fishery management practices vary. For example, on the Katagum river in Jigawa State, Nigeria, a village will have a water management council that collects a portion of each fisherman's catch and redistributes it among the villagers, or sells it and used the proceeds for communal projects. Local governments and traditional authorities are increasingly engaged in rent-seeking, collecting license fees with the help of the police or army.

The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo (established 1991) and Oban (established 1988). The park has a total area of about 4,000 km², most of which consists of primary moist tropical rainforests in the North and Central parts, with mangrove swamps on the coastal zones. Parts of the park belong to the Guinea-Congolian region, with a closed canopy and scattered emergent trees reaching 40 or 50 meters in height.^[1]

The park has one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, and has been identified as a biodiversity hot spot.^[1] Sixteen primate species have been recorded in the park.^[2] Rare primates include common chimpanzees, drills and (in Okwangwo) Cross River gorillas.^[3][4] Another primate, the gray-cheeked mangabey, seems to have recently^[when?] become extinct in the area.^[2]

Both divisions of the park are threatened by illegal logging, slash and burn farming and poaching.^[3][4] Eco-tourism may support efforts to preserve the park fauna.^[5] Assisting villagers in buffer zones to practice sustainable forestry also holds promise.^[6]

History

Park locations

The park was first proposed in 1965, but serious planning did not start until 1988. The World Wide Fund for Nature - UK played a leading role for the plan to establish the park in two divisions separated by farmland and the Cross River valley, with a budget of $49.9 million. The plan envisaged villagers in the buffer zone being involved in running the park and being given development aid.^[2]

The Cross River National Park (CRNP) was established by Federal Ministry Government Decree in 1991, with the Cross River gorilla chosen as the theme animal.^[7] The original plan was not fully implemented, and the park established in 1991 only included existing forest reserves. After a small amount of initial aid, the funding dried up and the villagers became hostile to the park administration.^[2] An amending decree in 1999 converted the Nigerian National Park Service, which runs the park, into a paramilitary outfit with increased powers.^[7]

Organization

The Nigeria National Park Service is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Housing & Urban Development. The Cross River National Park is headed by a Director under the guidance of a Park Management Committee.^[8] The park management has established a station at Kanyang as a base for primate research and eco-tourism. The Butatong Divisional Head Office, established with assistance from the European Union and the World Wildlife Fund provides a base for rangers patrolling the Okwa and Okwangwo sectors of the Okwangwo division.^[9]

The park has four departments: Park Protection and Conservation, Ecotourism, Park Engineering and Maintenance, and Finance and Administration. In 2010, 250 of the total 320 personnel worked in Park Protection and Conservation, mostly male due to the rigors of the job, based at twelve ranger stations. This number is inadequate given the size of the territory to be patrolled. Despite attempts at training, many of the rangers are poorly qualified and are dissatisfied with pay, equipment, motivation and career prospects.^[10]

Oban Hills Division

Location

Drill, an endangered primate related to the mandrill

The Oban Hills Division is 2,800 km² in area, centered on coordinates 5°25′0″N 8°35′0″E.^[3] The division shares a long border with Korup National Park in the Republic of Cameroon, forming a single protected ecological zone.^[1]

The division has a rugged terrain, rising from 100 m in the river valleys to over 1,000 m in the mountains. The soils are highly vulnerable to leaching and erosion where stripped of plant cover. The rainy season lasts from March to November, with annual rainfall of over 3,500mm. The northern part is drained by the Cross river and its tributaries. The southern parts are drained by the Calabar, Kwa and Korup rivers.^[3]

Biodiversity

The division is mostly covered with lowland rainforest. Typical tree species include Musanga cecropioides, the African corkwood tree or umbrella tree,Irvingia gabonensis bush mangoBerlinia confusa, Coula edulis, Hannoa klaineana, Klainedoxa gabonensis, African mahoganey and red ironwood.^[3] About 1,568 plant species have been identified, of which 77 are endemic to Nigeria.^[1] These include 1,303 flowering plants, 141 lichens and 56 moss species.^[3] Torben Larsen collected almost 600 species of butterfly in the Oban division in 1995, and estimated that there may be 950 species in total in the division.^[2]

Although the park has been poorly explored, over 350 bird species have been recorded. It is one of the two parts of Nigeria where Xavier's greenbul is found. Other species unusual in Nigeria include bat hawk, Cassin's hawk-eagle, crested guineafowl, grey-throated rail, olive long-tailed cuckoo, bare-cheeked trogon, lyre-tailed honeyguide, green-backed bulbul, grey-throated tit-flycatcher and Rachel's malimbe.^[3] 42 species of snake have been counted. There are at least 75 mammal species, including the African buffalo, the endangered African forest elephants, common chimpanzee, Preuss's red colobus and Sclater's guenon and the highly endangered drill.^[1] The division may contain 400 chimpanzees, although no survey has been undertaken.^[11]

Concerns

The forest remains largely untouched in the less accessible areas, but around the margins it has been considerably affected by human activity. In some places, secondary regrowth has occurred, but other areas contain plantations of oil-palm and rubber. Illegal logging is a serious threat, and has been increasing. The population of villages in the buffer zone is growing, and farmers are starting to encroach. Levels of hunting, fishing and transitory cultivation are increasing, and damaging the ecosystem. Chemicals used for fishing have affected fish stocks.^[3]

An approach to involving local communities in management of forests in the buffer zones has been tested with some success in the old and new Ekuri villages in the northwestern part of the Oban division. The villagers have rights to about 250 km² of forest land, and were living by subsistence agriculture and sale of high-value forest products, including the meat of endangered species such as chimpanzee and drill. The Ekuri Community Forestry Project was set up with the help of park officials and foreign donors to improve management of the forest and access to markets. With training and financial support, the villagers established ways to harvest the forest in a sustainable way, and now have a vested interest in its preservation. This contrasts to the negative effects usually seen when external logging or plantation companies enter an area such as this.^[6]

Okwangwo Division

Okwankwo division and bordering protected areas

Location

The Okwangwo division is centered on coordinates 6°17′00″N 9°14′00″E. It is made up of the former Boshi, Okwangwo and Boshi Extension Forest Reserves.^[12] The division has an area of about 920 km² at an altitude of 150 - 1,700m above sea level. It is separated from the Oban division to the south by about 50 km of disturbed rainforest. It lies south-west of the Obudu Plateau and immediately to the east of the Afi River Forest Reserve, separated from this reserve by the Mbe Mountains Community Forest.^[4]

The Takamanda Forest Reserve in the Republic of Cameroon shares a border with the Okwangwo division to the east.^[4] In November 2008 Takamanda was upgraded to a National Park through a joint project with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the government of Cameroon, with protection of the endangered Cross River gorilla a major objective. The 676 km² Takamanda National Park will also help conserve forest elephants, chimpanzees, and drills.^[13]

The ground is rugged, with rocky ridges and outcrops. The highest points are in the Sankwala Mountains in the north (1,700 m) and in the Mbe Mountains in the south-west (1,000  m). Annual rainfall may be as much as 4,280 mm, mostly falling in the wet season between March and November. The division is drained by the Oyi, Bemi and Okon rivers, tributaries of the Cross River. The high ridge-tops are covered in montane grasslands, with relict forests in the valleys. Lower down, the division is covered by lowland rainforests, with areas of savanna where humans have destroyed the forests. The soils in the highland and lowland areas are vulnerable to erosion and leaching when stripped of their plant cover.^[4]

Biodiversity

Cross River gorilla

The Okwangwo Division has richly diverse flora, with about 1,545 species representing 98 plant families recorded. Some of these species are endemic to the area. Others were unknown until recently.^[when?][9] Over 280 species of birds have been recorded, including the vulnerable grey-necked rockfowl, which breeds in the Mbe mountains and the golden greenbul, rare in Nigeria. The grey parrot is near threatened.^[4]

The park is home to about 78% of the primate species that are found in Nigeria, including the vulnerable common chimpanzee and western gorilla, and the endangered Sclater's guenon, Preuss's monkey and drill, which coexist in the same areas of the park. Other large mammals include the endangered African forest elephant and more common African buffalo.^[4] The division may contain 200 chimpanzees, although no survey has been undertaken.^[11]

The gorilla habitat consists of semi-deciduous, montane and derived savannah environments in a complex of hilly escarpments with steep valleys, with peaks that rise as high as 2,000m.^[7] The primary base for gorillas is Mbe mountain, with a population of 30-40 individuals, not yet incorporated in the park.^[9] In 2003 it was thought that the Boshi Extension Forest in the north of the division and the Okwa and Ononyi Hills in the south were together home to 50-60 individuals, generally living in isolated subpopulations and therefore at risk of genetic inbreeding. The gorillas are also vulnerable to hunting, but generally the Boki people of the region prefer smaller game.^[7] However, during the period 1990-1998, perhaps two gorillas were killed by hunters each year.^[14]

Concerns

African forest elephant

There are about 66 villages in the buffer zone surrounding the park, with the villagers dependent on the park for their livelihoods. With a growing human population, the forest is being lost to slash-and-burn agriculture and illegal logging. Some fishermen are using chemicals (gamalin 20, a herbicide) to kill the fish. It is thought that three species of primate have been extirpated.^[4] Logging, both legal and illegal, in the buffer zone and the park itself have caused loss of habitat, and logging trails have opened up the forest to poachers. Snares set to trap smaller animals cause injuries to the larger species.^[7] Fulani herdsmen have encroached into the reserve to graze their cattle along the Bushi-Ranch axis. There is continued trans-border poaching of elephants between Nigeria and Cameroon. The main targets for illegal logging are Carpolobia, Garcinia and ebony, woods that are scarce outside the park. The police have made efforts to discourage these activities, but are handicapped by lack of funding.^[9]

Land ownership in the region rests with the native authority, which must obtain community consent for land transfers. The local people, with reason, are suspicious of government promises that they will receive long-term economic assistance in exchange for giving up their land, and instead demand exorbitant cash payment. This has frustrated efforts to incorporate the Afi River Forest Reserve and the Mbe Mountains Community Forest into the park, preventing more effective conservation efforts.^[7]

Programs to establish backyard farming of bushmeat species have been successful in other parts of the state, with villagers raising rabbits, poultry, duikers, porcupines, cane rats, giant rats, pythons, crocodiles and snails. In these areas, hunting and poaching of wild bushmeat has declined dramatically. The approach holds promise for the area surrounding the park. Other ways to protect the endangered species include creating corridors or eco-ducts, highway diversion^[15] and improved policing. All would be expensive and depend on committed government officials at the state and federal levels.^[7]

Tourism potential

Preuss's red colobus in the adjacent Korup National Park. A critically endangered species, they are often found near the main tourist camps

The Federal government is courting investors to develop the eco-tourism potential in this and other national parks.^[16] The park has been given the motto "The Pride Of Nigeria". The Kanyang tourist village, about one hour's drive from Calabar, will give visitors a base from which to view the park, with a lodge, restaurant and wildlife museum. Activities include game viewing, bird watching, gorilla tracking, mountaineering or hiking, sport fishing, boat cruising and the Botanical garden and Herbarium in Butatong.^[17]

Attractions include the Kwa Falls, in a narrow, steep gorge near the headwaters of the Kwa River. The deep plunge pool at the foot of the waterfall was hidden under the thick canopy of the tropical rainforest before deforestation. The Agbpkim Waterfalls on the Cross River descend in terraces through the tropical rainforest. There is a mini zoological garden housing species of animals rarely found in Nigeria, which has helped save some rare species from extinction.

Erin-Ijesha Waterfalls (also known as Olumirin waterfalls)^[1] is located in Erin-Ijesha. It is a tourist attraction located in Oriade local government area, Osun State, Nigeria. The waterfalls was discovered in 1140 AD by one of the daughters of Oduduwa. However, according to The Nation,"Olumirin waterfall was discovered by hunters in 1140 AD" ^[2]. The fall features seven floors, on top of which the village Abake is located

Gashaka-Gumti National Park (GGNP) is a national park in Nigeria, It was gazetted from two game reserves in 1991 and is Nigeria’s largest national park. It is located in the eastern provinces of Taraba and Adamawa to the border with Cameroon. The total area covers about 6,402 km², much of the northern GGNP is savannah grassland, while the southern GGNP sector of the park has a rugged terrain characterized by very mountainous, steep slopes as well as deep valleys and gorges, and is home to montane forests. Altitude ranges from ranging from about 457 metres (1,499 ft) in the northern flatter corner of the park, up to 2,419 metres (7,936 ft) at Chappal Waddi, Nigeria’s highest mountain in the park's southern sections. It is an important water catchment area for the Benue River. There is abundant river flow even during the markedly dry season.^[1] Enclaves for local Fulani pastoralists exist within the park boundary that allow for farming and grazing.^[2]

Fauna

The fauna of the national park is very diverse. 103 species of mammals have been recorded at censuses. Species include yellow-backed duiker, African golden cat (Profelis aurata), The African buffalo, the largest population in Nigeria of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is found within the boundaries of the national park. To protect the animals and the ecosystem, the Gashaka Primate Project was launched. Living in the national park are also the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), the klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), the West African wild dog (Lycaon pictus manguensis), the hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), the world's largest antelope, the giant eland (Taurotragus Derbianus), the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), the kob antelope (Kobus kob), the oribi (Ourebia ourebi), and the rare Adamawa mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) in larger stocks.

The avian fauna is very rich and diverse, there are stocks are up 1 million birds estimated. The park is officially labelled as one of Africa's "Important Bird Areas" - and with more than 500 species found, and visiting bird watching enthusiasts are constantly adding new species to the list. The red faced lovebird is only found here and in the Central African Republic's Bamingui-Bangoran National Park and Biosphere Reserve .^[3]

Flora

In November 2002 an isolated population of the red sunbird bush, an ornate species of the acanthus family,^[4] was discovered in the 8 km² Leinde Fadale forest in the uplands adjacent to the park.^[5] The species occurs here at 1,600 to 1,670 m.a.s.l., and some 1,200 km from the nearest populations in the Afromontane archipelago. It has been suggested that the park boundary should be extended to protect the forest

The Idanre Hill, or Oke Idanre is located in Idanre town in Ondo State of southwestern Nigeria.^[1]

Site description

The hill of Idanre is one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Nigeria.^[2][3] It includes such cultural sites as "Owa's Palace, Shrines, Old Court, Belfry, Agbooogun footprint, thunder water (Omi Apaara) and burial mounds and grounds".^[4] It resides 3000 ft above sea level and houses a unique ecosystem upon which the cultural landscape has integrated. On getting to the entrance of the hill you will see a great tree at the entrance of the ancient city of Idanre called the IRAYE TREE, then you can now get prepared to take the steps to the great city beyond the hills of Idanre.

World Heritage status

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 8, 2007 in the Cultural category.^[4]

Wildlife

Amietophrynus perreti, or the Perret's toad, is only known from a single locality at the Idanre Hill.^[5][6] The five sites where forest elephants are found in southern Nigeria are the Omo Forests in Ogun State, the Okomu National Park in Edo State, the Cross River National Park in Cross River State, the IDANRE FORESTS and Osse River Park in Ondo State and the Andoni Island in Rivers State. [Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) ]

Civilization

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The ancient settlement of Idanre has existed on the hill since antiquity, however Western civilization was introduced to the ancient city when a team of missionaries led by Rev. Gilbert Carter arrived in the year 1894. The missionaries built the first primary school in the year 1896 of which the clay building still stands strong till this day. In the year 1906, a law court was established which includes an ancient prison where the convicts spend their jail term.

The Ikogosi Warm Springs is a tourist attraction located at Ikogosi, a town in Ekiti State, southwestern Nigeria.^[1] Flowing abreast the warm spring is another cold spring which meets the warm spring at a confluence, each maintaining its thermal properties.^[2] These attributes make the spring a tourist attraction in Nigeria.^[3] Research suggested that the warm spring has a temperature of about 70oC at the source and 37oC at the confluence.^[4]

Background and history of the Ikogosi Warm Springs (1952-1977)

In 1952, Southern Baptist missionary, Rev. John S. McGee, from his mission base in the nearby Ekiti town of Igede, went to the source of the hot and cold springs, about which he had heard from the Ikogosi people. Initially, he was discouraged from doing this, for reasons of the tradition he had heard from the local residents, which was that nobody should ever visit the source of these two streams, because of the idea that to do so would be to invite death from the supernatural forces that were responsible for this strange, and most unusual, feature of nature. In spite of these "warnings," Rev. McGee made his way through the bush/forest, up the hill to the source of the two side-by-side springs. According to Rev. McGee's later brief, written account, "After seeing it, I felt that it could be used for a good purpose. I discussed the possible use of it with some of the Mission and (Nigerian Baptist) Convention friends. With the growing interest of Royal Ambassador work, and youth work, we felt that it could best be used by building a Youth Camp. I took it up with the Ekiti Association and we decided to build a camp for our R.A.s and G.A.s. The land was secured through the Convention." ^[5]
Having had the water from both springs tested to ensure its purity, Rev. McGee, with support from the Ekiti Baptist Association of churches and the Nigerian Baptist Convention who secured 28 acres of land which was the original camp, began planning for the building of the camp. The Baptist Mission architect, Rev. Wilfred Congdon (located at the Baptist Mission in Oshogbo) drew the design and plans for the original (16) buildings, which were built in this order: the swimming pool, fed by the warm springs (built in 1962); a combination dining hall, large kitchen and storage areas; eight (8) small cabins, each of which could house sixteen persons, with sleeping, bath and toilet facilities; a Baptist Mission residence, which was occupied by the McGees from the middle 1960s until October, 1973, when the McGees received word from Ibadan, that the Nigerian government was taking control of the camp; and finally, a chapel, was completed in the late 1960s. By 1972, all the buildings of the original Nigerian Baptist Convention camp had been completed, and the camp was being visited regularly by groups of Baptist youth and adults, along with missionaries and other visitors who came for vacation/"local leave." According to a letter from Mrs. Doris McGee, "In 1968, we had 734 people stay at the camp either in the 12 camps or retreats, or on local leave or vacations. Already in the first four months of this year we have had 322 people in seven camps or retreats or for rest." ^[6]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, following the Biafran Civil War, some public opposition to the Baptist Camp began to develop, particularly as the McGees resisted public/military use of the camp, as they gave firm priority to the religious events and groups for which it had been built. News from the Lagos area alleged that the facility being developed at the warm springs was the work of the (U.S.) Central Intelligence Agency, for political purposes. One newspaper, in particular, expressed the negative and critical views of one well-known writer, Dr. Tai Solarin, based on the misinformation that was being circulated. Finally, some prominent alumni ("old boys") of the Baptist College at Iwo (now Bowen University) brought Dr. Solarin to the Ikogosi camp to be introduced and to meet with Rev. McGee. My father told me that they were all together in my father's office at their house at the camp, when he went and got the "Prestigious Beaded Walking Stick," which had been presented to him by the Ewi of Ado in 1961. He showed it to Dr. Solarin and told him, "Your people do not give this to someone who does not love them." My father said that Dr. Solarin looked at it with amazement and asked, "Where did you get this?!" When my father told him, Dr. Solarin's attitude changed completely.^[7] Nonetheless, by early 1971, news of the Baptist Camp was becoming much more known by persons (outside of the Baptist Mission and Nigerian Convention) who saw possibilities for the development of a commercial, tourist resort. By December 22, 1973, the government had opened its guest house which was located by the warm springs swimming pool, and the following month, January 18, 1974, the McGees received word that the government was taking control of the swimming pool, the Baptist Camp's featured attraction. From that time forward, the activity at the camp significantly declined, with the McGees continuing to manage the facilities (other than the pool) from their Baptist Mission residence at Igede, until their retirement from Nigeria. When the McGees retired from Nigeria in July, 1977, Rev. McGee was installed as "Chief Akorewolu of Ikogosi," by the Loja of Ikogosi Ekiti, in a ceremony that occurred on 1 July 1977. This followed Rev. McGee's having been installed as "Chief Gbaiyegun" by the Onigede, Chiefs and people of Igede on March 10, 1957. As mentioned above, in 1961, Rev. McGee was given the "Prestigious Beaded Walking Stick" by King Aladesanmi the Second of Ado-Ekiti, on behalf of the Ekiti Baptist Association.^[8] Unfortunately, for the future of the Baptist "Warm Springs" Camp at Ikogosi, when the McGees left, there was no Mission or Convention person available or willing to manage the camp, and in 1978, the entire property was sold to the Nigerian government by the Nigerian Baptist Convention, for the price of three-hundred thousand Naira. Within a matter of less than ten years, when the McGees very briefly visited Igede and Ikogosi (1985), the camp had been covered with bush. Rev. McGee, who walked to the camp on the road there he had built, told me that he did not bother to try to enter the camp grounds, and could barely see the buildings which were already being covered by bush.^[9] As already described above, by the early-middle 1970s, the Nigerian government took control of the swimming pool, and had built some guest chalets adjacent to it, with a separate entrance road from that which the McGees had built to the camp entrance. From that time forward, there was always the hope/intention of developing that area for tourist purposes, but it was not until the past three or four years (2011-2014), that the Ekiti government under the leadership of its Governor, was able to enter into an agreement with resources which have been able to develop the facilities to their current high level. Just for the record, for those who may be interested, any of the current, renovated buildings which have a STONE portion of their exterior, are buildings which were preserved from the original Baptist camp.

Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Northern Nigeria. Construction of the dam was carried out by Impregilo (a consortium of Italian Civil Engineering Contractors) to designs by Joint Consultants, Balfour Beatty and Nedeco, and began in 1964 to be completed in 1968. The total cost was estimated at US$209 million (equivalent to about US$1.2 billion in 2016 dollars^[1]), with one-quarter of this amount used to resettle people displaced by the construction of the dam and its reservoir, Kainji Lake.

Dimensions

Kainji Dam extends for about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), including its saddle dam, which closes off a tributary valley. The primary section across the outflow to the Niger is 550 metres (1,800 ft). Most of the structure is made from earth, but the centre section, housing the hydroelectric turbines, was built from concrete. This section is 65 metres (213 ft) high. Kanji Dam is one of the longest dams in the world.^[2]

Power station

The dam was designed to have a generating capacity of 960 megawatts (1,290,000 hp); however, only 8 of its 12 turbines have been installed, reducing the capacity to 760 megawatts (1,020,000 hp).^[3] The dam generates electricity for all the large cities in Nigeria. Some of the electricity is sold to the neighbouring country of Niger. In addition, occasional droughts have made the Niger's water flow unpredictable, diminishing the dam's electrical output.

Lock

The dam has a single-lock chamber capable of lifting barges 49 metres (161 ft).

Discharge flooding

In October 1998 in response to upstream flooding, a torrent of water was released from the dam, bursting the river banks. Downstream from the dam 60 villages were flooded. Domestic animals drowned and dikes as well as several farms were washed away. Dam officials were criticized for waiting too long before starting, then dumping too much water.^[4]

Lake Kainji

Kainji Lake measures about 135 kilometres (84 mi) long and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) at its widest point, and supports irrigation and a local fishing industry.^[5] In 1999, uncoordinated opening of floodgates led to local flooding of about 60 villages.

The Kamuku National Park is a Nigerian national park in Kaduna State, Nigeria, with a total area of about 1,120 km² (430 sq mi). The park has a typical Sudanian Savanna ecology.

Location and history

The park is located in the west of Kaduna State, and is adjacent to the Kwiambana Game Reserve to the north west and 14km away from main town.^[1] It was established in 1936 as the Native Authority Forest Reserve of Birnin Gwari under the Northern Nigeria Government.^[2] It was upgraded from a state Game Reserve to a National Park in May 1999, in part due to the success of a community-based project promoting sustainable resource usage, managed by Savanna Conservation Nigeria, a national NGO.^[3] The Federal government has been seeking to partner with foreign investors to develop eco-tourism in this and other national parks.^[4]

Environment

The park has generally flat terrain, sloping gradually upwards to the Birnin Gwari Ridge along the eastern boundary.^[3] Natural features of interest include the Dogon Ruwa Waterfalls; the Goron Dutse, a large isolated inselberg with a smooth surface stratified in a pattern of black and white squares; and the Tsaunin Rema, a hill made of large boulders piled on top of each other, with a large population of rock hyraxes.^[1]

Vegetation is Guinea Savanna with some transitional Sudan Savanna elements in places. The park and the nearby forest reserves have some of the best preserved blocks of this ecosystem in the country. Dominant trees include Isoberlinia doka, Terminalia avicennioides and Detarium macrocarpum. Other common trees include Daniellia oliveri, Nauclea latifolia, Acacia, Lophira lanceolata, Parkia biglobosa, Prosopis africana and Isoberlinia tomentosa. The riparian forests that line small, seasonal rivers often include oil palms (Elaeis guineensis).^[3] Other common plant species include Afzelia, Monotes and Raphia shrubs.^[1]

Fauna

Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)

Mammals include elephants, roan antelopes, duikers, hartebeest, baboons, warthog, bushbuck, patas monkeys, and green monkeys. There are at least 177 species of birds, including migrants and residents.^[1] The park is important for species such as the secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Denham's bustard (Neotis denhami) and the Abyssinian ground-hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus) which are rare in other parts of Nigeria.^[3]

People

The area in and around the park is the home of the Gwari and Kamuku people, traditional farmers, hunters, pastoralists and craftsmen, noted for weaving, mat making and pottery. The Gwari are said to have originated from Zungeru in Niger State, and the Kamuku are said to have come from the Sokoto and Katsina areas during the Fulani jihad at the start of the 19th century. The park includes places considered sacred by these people, such as hills, rock outcrops, marshes and streams, and the ancient Parnono Shrine. The present town of Birnin Gwari was founded in 1957 by Gwari people who had migrated from an earlier settlement about 50 km to the north.^[1] Hunting and illegal cattle-grazing by the pastoralist settlements on the edge of the park pose threats to the park environment

Lake Chad (French: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank by as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998, but "the 2007 (satellite) image shows significant improvement over previous years."^[4] Lake Chad is economically important, providing water to more than 30 million people living in the four countries surrounding it (Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria) on the edge of the Sahara.^[5] It is the largest lake in the Chad Basin.

Geography and hydrology

Lake Chad is mainly in the far west of Chad, bordering on northeastern Nigeria. The Chari River, fed by its tributary the Logone, provides over 90% of the lake's water, with a small amount coming from the Yobe River in Nigeria/Niger. Despite high levels of evaporation, the lake is fresh water. Over half of the lake's area is taken up by its many small islands (including the Bogomerom archipelago), reedbeds and mud banks, and a belt of swampland across the middle divides the northern and southern halves. The shorelines are largely composed of marshes.

Because Lake Chad is very shallow—only 10.5 metres (34 ft) at its deepest—its area is particularly sensitive to small changes in average depth, and consequently it also shows seasonal fluctuations in size. Lake Chad has no apparent outlet, but its waters percolate into the Soro and Bodélé depressions. The climate is dry most of the year, with moderate rainfall from July through September.

History

Maximum extension of the Holocene "Lake Mega-Chad" (green-blue area limited by a blue dotted line)

Lake Chad in a 2001 satellite image, with the actual lake in blue, and vegetation on top of the old lake bed in green. Above that, the changes from 1973 to 1997 are shown.

The same changes marked more clearly on another map

Lake Chad gave its name to the country of Chad. The name Chad is a local word meaning "large expanse of water", in other words, a "lake".^[6]

Lake Chad is the remnant of a former inland sea, paleolake Mega-Chad. At its largest, sometime before 5000 BC, Lake Mega-Chad was the largest of four Saharan paleolakes, and is estimated to have covered an area of 1,000,000 km² (390,000 sq mi), larger than the Caspian Sea is today, and may have extended as far northeast as within 100 km (62 mi) of Faya-Largeau.^{[7] [8]} At its largest extent the river Mayo Kébbi represented the outlet of the paleolake Mega-Chad, connecting it to the Niger River and the Atlantic.^[9] The presence of African manatees in the inflows of Lake Chad is an evidence of that history.

Romans reached the lake in the first century of their empire. Indeed, during Augustus times lake Chad was still a huge lake and two Roman expeditions were done in order to reach it: Septimius Flaccus and Julius Maternus reached the "lake of ippopotamus"^{[citation needed]} (as the lake was called by Claudius Ptolomeus). They moved from coastal Tripolitania and passed near the Tibesti mountains. Both did their expeditions through the Garamantes territories, and were able to leave a small garrison on the "lake of ippopotamus and rhinoceros" after 3 months of travel in desert lands.

Lake Chad was first surveyed from shore by Europeans in 1823, and it was considered to be one of the largest lakes in the world then.^[10] In 1851, a party including the German explorer Heinrich Barth carried a boat overland from Tripoli across the Sahara Desert by camel and made the first European waterborne survey.^[11] British expedition leader James Richardson died just days before reaching the lake.

In Winston Churchill’s book 'The River War: An Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan', published in 1899, Churchill specifically mentions the shrinking of Lake Chad. He writes:

"Altogether France has enough to occupy her in Central Africa for some time to come: and even when the long task is finished, the conquered regions are not likely to be of great value. They include the desert of the Great Sahara and wide expanses of equally profitless scrub or marsh. Only one important river, the Shari, flows through them, and never reaches the sea: and even Lake Chad, into which the Shari flows, appears to be leaking through some subterranean exit, and is rapidly changing from a lake into an immense swamp."^[12]

Lake Chad has shrunk considerably since the 1960s, when its shoreline had an elevation of about 286 metres (938 ft) above sea level^[13] and it had an area of more than 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi), making its surface the fourth largest in Africa. An increased demand on the lake's water from the local population has likely accelerated its shrinkage over the past 40 years.^[2]

Kanuri tribal fishermen in 1970s

The size of Lake Chad greatly varies seasonally with the flooding of the wetlands areas. In 1983, Lake Chad was reported to have covered 10,000 to 25,000 km² (3,900 to 9,700 sq mi),^[3] had a maximum depth of 11 metres (36 ft),^[3] and a volume of 72 km³ (17 cu mi).^[3]

By 2000, its extent had fallen to less than 1,500 km² (580 sq mi). A 2001 study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research blamed the lake's retreat largely on overgrazing in the area surrounding the lake, causing desertification and a decline in vegetation.^[14] The United Nations Environment Programme and the Lake Chad Basin Commission concur that at least half of the lake's decrease is attributable to shifting climate patterns. UNEP blames human water use, such as inefficient damming and irrigation methods, for the rest of the shrinkage.^[15] As late as December 2014, Lake Chad was still sufficient in size and volume such that boats could capsize or sink. The European Space Agency has recently presented data showing an actual increase in lake extent of Lake Chad between the years of 1985 to 2011.^[16]

Referring to the floodplain as a lake may be misleading, as less than half of Lake Chad is covered by water through an entire year. The remaining sections are considered as wetlands.

Lake Chad's volume of 72 km³ (17 cu mi)^[3] is very small relative to that of Lake Tanganyika (18,900 km³ (4,500 cu mi)) and Lake Victoria (2,750 km³ (660 cu mi)), African lakes with similar surface areas.

Map of the lake in 1973

Lake Chad in 1930, aerial photograph by Walter Mittelholzer

Flora

The lake is home to more than 44 species of algae. In particular it is one of the world's major producers of wild spirulina. The lake also has large areas of swamp and reedbeds. The floodplains on the southern lakeshore are covered in wetland grasses such as Echinochloa pyramidalis, Vetiveria nigritana, Oryza longistaminata, and Hyparrhenia rufa.

Fauna

The entire Lake Chad basin holds 179 fish species, of which more than half are shared with the Niger River Basin, about half are shared with the Nile River Basin, and about a quarter are shared with the Congo River Basin.^[17] Lake Chad itself holds 85 fish species.^[17] Of the 25 endemics in the basin, only Brycinus dageti is found in the lake itself,^[17] and it is perhaps better treated as a dwarf subspecies of Brycinus nurse.^[18] This relatively low species richness and virtual lack of endemic fish species contrasts strongly with other large African lakes, such as Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi.^[19]

There are many floating islands in the lake. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including elephants, hippopotamus, crocodile (all in decline), and large communities of migrating birds including wintering ducks, ruff (Philomachus pugnax) and other waterfowl and shore birds. There are two near-endemic birds in the region, the river prinia (Prinia fluviatilis) and the rusty lark (Mirafra rufa). The shrinking of the lake is threatening nesting sites of the black-crowned crane (Balearica pavonina pavonina). During the wet season, fish move into the mineral-rich lake to breed and find food. Carnivorans such as the Central African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii), the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) and the caracal (Felis caracal) used to live at the lake.^[20]

Threats and preservation

There is some debate over the mechanisms causing the lake's disappearance. The leading theory, which is most often cited by the UN, is that the unsustainable usage of the lake by both governments and local communities has caused the lake to be over-used, not allowing it to replenish.^[21]

Recently, however, an additional theory is gaining traction. This states that European air pollution had shifted rainfall patterns farther south, thereby making the region drier and not allowing the lake to replenish. Since the implementation of new regulations in the EU concerning air pollutants, much of this rainfall is now beginning to return, thereby explaining the small improvements observed since 2007.^[22]

The only protected area is the Lake Chad Game Reserve, which covers half of the area next to the lake that belongs to Nigeria. The whole lake has been declared a Ramsar site of international importance.^{[citation needed]}

Management of the lake

Main article: Lake Chad replenishment project

The Transaqua scheme (in red) to replenish the lake

Plans to divert the Ubangi River into Lake Chad were proposed in 1929 by Herman Sörgel in his Atlantropa project and again in the 1960s. The copious amount of water from the Ubangi would revitalize the dying Lake Chad and provide livelihood in fishing and enhanced agriculture to tens of millions of central Africans and Sahelians. Interbasin water transfer schemes were proposed in the 1980s and 1990s by Nigerian engineer J. Umolu (ZCN scheme) and Italian firm Bonifica (the Transaqua canal scheme).^{[23][24][25][26][27]} In 1994, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) proposed a similar project, and at a March 2008 summit, the heads of state of the LCBC member countries committed to the diversion project.^[28] In April 2008, the LCBC advertised a request for proposals for a World Bank-funded feasibility study.^{[citation needed]} Neighboring countries have agreed to commit resources to restoring the lake, notably Nigeria.^[29][30]

Local impact

The dwindling of the lake has devastating impacts on Nigeria.^[31] Because of the way it has shrunk dramatically in recent decades, the lake has been labeled an ecological catastrophe by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.^[32] Human population expansion and unsustainable human water extraction from Lake Chad have caused several natural species to be stressed and threatened by declining lake levels. For example, the decline or disappearance of the endangered painted hunting dog has been noted in the Lake Chad area.^[33]

The shrinking of the lake has also caused several different conflicts to emerge as to which countries that border Lake Chad have the rights to the remaining water. Along with the conflicts that involve the countries, violence is increasing among the lake's dwellers. Farmers and herders want the water for their crops and livestock and are constantly diverting the water.^[34] The fishermen, however, want the remaining water in the lake to stay so they can continue to fish and not have to worry about the lake shrinking more and decreasing their already strained supply of fish. Furthermore, the birds and animals in the area are threatened as they are important sources of food for the local human population.

The Mambilla Plateau is a plateau in the Taraba State of Nigeria. The plateau is Nigeria's northern continuation of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon.

The Mambilla Plateau has an average elevation of about 1,600 metres (5,249 ft) above sea level, making it the highest plateau in Nigeria.^[1] Some of its villages are situated on hills that must be at least 1,828 metres (5,997 ft) high above sea level.^[2]

Some mountains on the plateau and around it are over 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) high, like the Chappal Waddi (more appropriate name: Gang) mountain which has an average height of about 2,419 metres (7,936 ft) above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Nigeria^[3] and the highest mountain in West Africa if Cameroon's mountains, such as Mount Cameroon, are excluded.

The Mambilla Plateau measures about 96 km (60 mi) along its curved length; it is 40 km (25 mi) wide and is bounded by an escarpment that is about 900 m (2,953 ft) high in some places.^[4] The plateau covers an area of over 9,389 square kilometres (3,625 sq mi).^[5] Gang ('Chappal Waddi') Mountain is found at the northeastern flank of the Plateau.

Location

The Mambilla Plateau, cradle of the Bantu-speaking peoples (Zeitlyn & Connell, 2003; Griffith, 2007; Martin, 2009),and continuously inhabited for over four millennia by the same Mambillobantu culture, is found in the southeastern part of Taraba State of Nigeria under Sardauna local government area (the former Mambilla District set up in January 1940, which became known as 'Mambilla Local Authority' in 1970, and then as 'Mambilla Local Government Area' in 1981).^[6] The current 'Sardauna' title is believed to be an inappropriate cognomen for this historically famous spot in Africa, given that the combination of three local government areas in one, which was the tenuous basis for the appellation, has since ceased to exist. The false premise of a "sardauna" "discovering" the area is untenable, since the entire former Northern Cameroon Province headquartered at Mubi has since reverted to the use of their various true names. The people of the Mambilla Plateau are equally entitled to their ancient and historical identity and to be appropriately named, just as all other areas in the defunct "Sardauna" Province. The name "Mambilla" is a derivative of the ancient name "Mamberre" which has been used for the Mambilla Plateau from ancient times and which concomitantly denotes its inhabitants.^[7]

The plateau has its south and eastern escarpments standing along the Cameroonian border, while the remainder of its giant northern escarpment and its western slope are in Nigeria.

Climate

The climate of the plateau is comparatively cold. Daytime temperatures hardly ever exceeds 25 °C (77.0 °F) making it the coolest region in Nigeria.^[8] Strong winds prevail during the daytime, and the rainy season lasts from mid-March until the end of November.^[2] As a result of its high elevation, the plateau experiences temperate weather conditions but on a smaller scale due to its location in a tropical environment.

Rainfall

The rainy season on the Mambilla Plateau is associated with frequent and heavy rainfall due to orographic activities on the plateau involving moist winds from the south Atlantic Ocean in southern Nigeria and the steep edges and escarpments of the plateau.The Mambilla Plateau receives over 1850 millimetres of rainfall annually.^[9] It is also Mosquito and Tse-Tse fly free.

Topography

The Mambilla Plateau is hilly with deep gorges and travelers are constantly passing from one panoramic view to the other. The plateau is entirely covered by soil with occasional occurrence of granite.^[10]

Drainage

The plateau is dissected by many streams and rivers; notably among them are the Donga River and Taraba River, with both having their sources on/from the Mambilla Plateau.

Vegetation

Vegetation on the plateau comprises low grasses with trees being noticeably absent except for man-made forest planted by German colonialist during the period of German administration of the cameroons (c. 1906-1915)and other Nigerian government tree planting programs. The plateau is the only region of Nigeria that grows the tea plant on a large scale, and there are several tea farms, although the sector remains mostly underdeveloped. It is also home to the Gashaka Gumti National Park, which is the largest national park and protected area in all of Nigeria, as well as the Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, both of which harbor rare and endangered West/Central African plant and animal species endemic to the area. The eucalyptus tree is the dominant tree is these man made forest as a result of the easily adaptability of the eucalyptus tree to the harsh climatic conditions on the plateau. The abundance of low lush green grasses on the plateau has attracted a large number of cattle,whose advent beginning during British rule affected the plateau's vegetation. This has resulted in overgrazing of the plateau and has created problems between the cattle herders, referred to as the fulanis, and the indigenous people, the Mambila.

Towns

The Mambilla Plateau constitutes one of Taraba State's largest local government areas. There are numerous towns on the plateau with populations ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 people except for Bommi (Gembu), Nigeria|Gembu]]), which is a sprawling ancient Mambilla city with a much higher population. The latter contains the headquarters of new-christened "Sardauna" Local Government Area which is synonymous with the Mambilla Plateau. Other important towns on the plateau are Liimil (Mbamga), Mvurr (Warwar), Bang, Mbuk (Tapnyia), Ndik (Kabri), Gam (Vakude), Mbar, Kara, Mang, Dembe, Nge (Leme), Mbun (Kakara) (Which is home to Mambilla Beverages Company Ltd, the only Tea Production Company in West Africa), Furu (Yerrmaru), Yirrum, Ngumbun, Kuma, Kerke (Titong), Mbungnu (Nguroje), New Ndaga (Mayo Ndaga), Benene (Maisamari), and Mamal (Hainare). According to Percival (1938), the Germans met some 200 villages on the Mambilla Plateau,all being of Mambilla origin then.

Today, there are, besides the Mambilla towns and villages, Kaka-Yamba settlements in the southwest along the Cameroonian border which are believed to be of recent emergence (Connell, 1997; Hurault, 1998; SIL ethnologue,2010) and include Anterre and Inkirri established by splinter groups from Mfumte area of Cameroon's North-West Region, both being place names still in use in Mfumte area. Others are Ndum, Warrkaka, and their satellites emanating from the Donga-Mantung Division of the same Region of Cameroon Republic.

People

The major ethnic groups on the plateau, include, the Mambila (the ancient population of these mountains)Fulani, Kaka, trading communities of Igbo, Wimbum (Kambu) and Panso, with the Mambilla being the majority and original inhabitants. The major Language spoken on the Mambilla Plateau are Mambilla (the language of the predominant population, However due dialectical difference Majority of the Mambillas speak Fulfulde), Fufulde (used for Commercial transactions by various groups), Kaka, Panso, Igbo, etc. Note, however, that only the Mambilla and Kaka have existing villages while the Fulanis established cattle-farm settlements nestling between the villages in the 18th Century. Majority of the Mambillas are adherent of the Islamic Religion having been introduce to the religion in the 18th Century by the Fulani Scholars.

Attractions

·  The highland is home to Nigeria and West Africa's only highland tea plantations, Located In Kakara town.

·  Nigeria's largest game reserves, the Gashaka/Gumti Game Reserve is found north of the Gangriwal ('Chappal Waddi') Mountain area just on the northern border of the Mambilla Plateau.^[11] The Gang Peak is West Africa's highest peak (excluding Cameroon's peaks)and has a rich historical and tourist importance steeped in enthralling Mambilla mythologies and legends. 'Chappal Wadi' is a misnomer for the ancient Gangriwal Peak, whose tradition and historical phenomena have spanned several centuries to date (see Bami-Yuno: Jumboni - History of the Mambilla Chiefdom, ms).

·  A hydroelectric power dam is planned to be constructed on the plateau.

National Arts Theatre

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North view

Coordinates: 6°28′35″N 3°22′10″E / 6.47639°N 3.36944°E The National Arts Theatre is the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria. The monument is located in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos. Its construction was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977. The collection of National Gallery of Modern Nigerian Art is housed in a section of this building.

Design[edit]

Side view

Construction of The National Arts Theatre was started by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon and completed during the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. Its exterior is shaped like a military hat. It has a 5,000-seater Main Hall with a collapsible stage, and two capacity cinema halls, all of which are equipped with facilities for simultaneous translation of 8 languages; among others.
The National Arts Theatre was designed and constructed by Bulgarian construction companies and resembles the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria (completed in 1968), the National Arts Theatre Lagos being the bigger of the two.

Controversy[edit]

In 2010, President Olusegun Obasanjo announced plans to privatise the National Arts Theatre. This sparked controversy amongst Nigerian entertainers and playwrights like Wole Soyinka^[1] On 30 December 2014, it was reported that the National Arts Theatre has been sold to a Dubai-based conglomerate for the sum of $40million, and that the building will be converted to a duty-free shopping mall.

The Niger River (/ˈnaɪdʒər/; French: (le) fleuve Niger, pronounced [(lə) flœv niʒɛʁ]) is the principal river of West Africa, extending about 4,180 km (2,600 mi). Its drainage basin is 2,117,700 km² (817,600 sq mi) in area.^[3] Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea. It runs in a crescent through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Niger Delta or the Oil Rivers, into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeded only by the Nile and the Congo River (also known as the Zaïre River). Its main tributary is the Benue River.

Etymology

The Niger has different names in the different languages of the region:

• Manding: Jeliba or Joliba "great river"
• Igbo: Orimiri or Orimili "great water"
• Tuareg: Egerew n-Igerewen "river of rivers"
• Songhay: Isa Ber "big river", or simply Isa "the river" in Zarma
• Hausa: Kwara
• Yoruba: Oya

The earliest use of the name "Niger" for the river is by Leo Africanus in his Della descrittione dell’Africa et delle cose notabili che iui sono published in Italian in 1550. The name may come from Berber phrase ger-n-ger meaning "river of rivers".^[4] As Timbuktu was the southern end of the principal Trans-Saharan trade route to the western Mediterranean, it was the source of most European knowledge of the region.

Medieval European maps applied the name Niger to the middle reaches of the river, in modern Mali, but Quorra (Kworra) to the lower reaches in modern Nigeria, as these were not recognized at the time as being the same river. When European colonial powers began to send ships along the west coast of Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Senegal River was often postulated to be seaward end of the Niger. The Niger Delta, pouring into the Atlantic through mangrove swamps and thousands of distributaries along more than 160 kilometres (100 miles), was thought to be no more than coastal wetlands. It was only with the 18th-century visits of Mungo Park, who travelled down the Niger River and visited the great Sahelian empires of his day, that Europeans correctly identified the course of the Niger and extended the name to its entire course.

The modern nations of Nigeria and Niger take their names from the river, marking contesting national claims by colonial powers of the "Upper", "Lower" and "Middle" Niger river basin during the Scramble for Africa at the end of the 19th century.

Geography

The great bend of the Niger River, seen from space, creates a green arc through the brown of the Sahel and Savanna. The green mass on the left is the Inner Niger Delta, and on the far left are tributaries of the Senegal River.

Mud houses on the center island at Lake Debo, a wide section of the Niger River.

The Niger River is a relatively "clear" river, carrying only a tenth as much sediment as the Nile because the Niger's headwaters lie in ancient rocks that provide little silt.^[5] Like the Nile, the Niger floods yearly; this begins in September, peaks in November, and finishes by May.^[5]

An unusual feature of the river is the Inner Niger Delta, which forms where its gradient suddenly decreases.^[5] The result is a region of braided streams, marshes, and lakes the size of Belgium; the seasonal floods make the Delta extremely productive for both fishing and agriculture.^[6]

The river loses nearly two-thirds of its potential flow in the Inner Delta between Ségou and Timbuktu to seepage and evaporation. All the water from the Bani River, which flows into the Delta at Mopti, does not compensate for the 'losses'. The average 'loss' is estimated at 31 km³/year, but varies considerably between years.^[7] The river is then joined by various tributaries, but also loses more water to evaporation. The quantity of water entering Nigeria measured in Yola was estimated at 25 km³/year before the 1980s and at 13.5 km³/year during the 1980s. The most important tributary of the Niger in Nigeria is the Benue River which merges with the river at Lokoja in Nigeria. The total volume of tributaries in Nigeria is six times higher than the inflow into Nigeria, with a flow near the mouth of the river standing at 177.0 km³/year before the 1980s and 147.3 km³/year during the 1980s.^[7]

Unusual route

The Niger takes one of the most unusual routes of any major river, a boomerang shape that baffled geographers for two centuries. Its source is just 240 km (150 mi) inland from the Atlantic Ocean, but the river runs directly away from the sea into the Sahara Desert, then takes a sharp right turn near the ancient city of Timbuktu (Tombouctou) and heads southeast to the Gulf of Guinea.

This strange geography apparently came about because the Niger River is two ancient rivers joined together. The upper Niger, from the source west of Timbuktu to the bend in the current river near Timbuktu, once emptied into a now dry lake to the east northeast of Timbuktu, while the lower Niger started to the south of Timbuktu and flowed south into the Gulf of Guinea. Over time upstream erosion by the lower Niger resulted in stream capture of the upper Niger by the lower Niger.^[8]

The northern part of the river, known as the Niger bend, is an important area because it is the major river and source of water in that part of the Sahara desert. This made it the focal point of trade across the western Sahara, and the centre of the Sahelian kingdoms of Mali and Gao.

The surrounding Niger River Basin is one of the distinct physiographic sections of the Sudan province, which in turn is part of the larger African massive physiographic division.

European exploration

A reconstruction of the Ravenna Cosmography placed on a Ptolemaic map. The River Ger is visible at bottom. Note it is placed, following Ptolemy, as just south of the land of the Garamantes, in modern Libya, constricting the continent to the land from the central Sahara north.

1561 map of West Africa by Girolamo Ruscelli, from Italian translation of Ptolemy's Atlas "La Geograpfia Di Claudio Tolomeo Alessandrino, Nouvamente Tradatta Di Greco in Italiano". The writer was attempting to square information gleaned from Portuguese trade along the coast with Ptolemy's world map. The mouths of the Senegal River and Gambia River are postulated to flow into a lake, which also feeds the "Ger"/Niger River, which in turn feeds the "Nile Lake" and Nile River.

The origin of the river's name remains unclear. What is clear is that "Niger" was an appellation applied in the Mediterranean world from at least the Classical era, when knowledge of the area by Europeans was slightly better than fable. A careful study of Classical writings on the interior of the Sahara begins with Ptolemy, who mentions two rivers in the desert: the "Gir" and farther south, the "Ni-Gir".^[9][10] The first has been since identified as the Wadi Ghir on the north western edge of the Tuat, along the borders of modern Morocco and Algeria.^[9][11] This would likely have been as far as Ptolemy would have had consistent records. The Ni-Ger was likely speculation, although the name stuck as that of a river south of the Mediterranean's "known world". Suetonius reports Romans traveling to the "Ger", although in reporting any river's name derived from a Berber language, in which "gher" means "watercourse", confusion could easily arise.^[12] Pliny connected these two rivers as one long watercourse which flowed (via lakes and underground sections) into the Nile,^[13] a notion which persisted in the Arab and European worlds – and further added the Senegal River as the "Ger" – until the 19th century. The connection to the Nile River was made not simply because this was then known as the great river of "Aethiopia" (by which all lands south of the desert were called by Classical writers), but because the Nile flooded every summer. In Europe and Western Asia, floods are expected in the Spring, following snow melt. Classical authors explained the summer flood by calculating the time it took for flood waters to move down a river, and calculating how long the Nile must have been for the waters to travel from a mountain range in the spring. However the cycle of the Nile is influenced by tropical rain patterns instead of by melting snow, a characteristic unknown to the Classical Mediterranean world.^[14] Through the descriptions of Leo Africanus and even Ibn Battuta – despite his visit to the river – the myth connecting the Niger to the Nile persisted.

While the true course of the Niger was presumably known to locals, it was a mystery to the outside world until the late 18th century. Ancient Romans such as Pliny (N.H. 5.10) thought that the river near Timbuktu was part of the Nile River, a belief also held by Ibn Battuta, while early European explorers thought that it flowed west and joined the Senegal River.

Many European expeditions to plot the river were unsuccessful. In 1788 the African Association was formed in England to promote the exploration of Africa in the hopes of locating the Niger, and in June 1796 the Scottish explorer Mungo Park was the first European to lay eyes on the middle portion of the river since antiquity (and perhaps ever). The true course was established in his book Travels in the Interior of Africa, which appeared in 1799.^[15] The African Association failed in assaults from the north (Tripoli), the east (Cairo), and the west (Gambia). The membership now proposed that an effort be made from the south. The site chosen in 1804 from which to strike inland was a British trading post in the Gulf of Guinea. Unbeknownst to him, the river mouth that emptied into the Gulf, whence Henry Nicholls was to set out in search of the Niger, was precisely the end of the Niger itself—only the Europeans did not know it yet. The starting point of the expedition was in fact its destination.^[16]

On October 24, 1946 three Frenchmen, Jean Sauvy, Pierre Ponty and movie maker Jean Rouch, former civil servants in the African French colonies, set out to travel the entire length of the river, as no one else seemed to have done previously. They travelled from the very beginning of the river near Kissidougou in Guinea, walking at first till a raft could be used, then changing to various local crafts as the river broadened and changed. Two of them reached the ocean on March 25, 1947, with Pierre Ponty having had to leave the expedition at Niamey, somewhat past the halfway mark. They carried a 16mm movie camera, the resulting footage giving Jean Rouch his first two ethnographic documentaries: "Au pays des mages noirs", and "La chasse à l’hippopotame". A camera was used to illustrate Jean Rouch's subsequent book "Le Niger En Pirogue" (Fernand Nathan, 1954), as well as Jean Sauvy’s “Descente du Niger” (L'Harmattan 2001). A typewriter was brought as well, on which Pierre Ponty produced newspaper articles he mailed out whenever possible.^[17]

More recently, Norwegian adventurer Helge Hjelland made another journey through the entire length of the Niger River starting in Guinea-Bissau in 2005. The trip was filmed by the adventurer himself and made into a documentary titled "The Cruellest Journey".^[18]

Management and development

The water in the Niger River basin is partially regulated through dams. In Mali the Sélingué Dam on the Sankarani River is mainly used for hydropower, but also permits irrigation. Two diversion dams, one at Sotuba just downstream of Bamako, and one at Markala, just downstream of Ségou, are used to irrigate about 54,000 hectares.^[7] In Nigeria the Kainji Dam and the Jebba dam are used to generate hydropower.

The water resources of the Niger River are under pressure due to increased water abstraction for irrigation and due to the impact of climate change. The construction of dams for hydropower generation is underway or envisaged in order to alleviate chronic power shortages in the countries of the Niger basin.^[19]

The FAO estimates the irrigation potential of all countries in the Niger river basin at 2.8 million hectares. Only 0.93m hectares (ha) were under irrigation in the late 1980s. The irrigation potential was estimated at 1.68m ha in Nigeria 0.56m ha in Mali, and the actual irrigated area was 0.67m ha and 0.19m ha.^[7]

Niger Basin Charta and Investment Plan

In order to further coordinate their efforts, in April 2008 the riparian countries which form the Niger Basin Authority adopted a Niger Basin Water Charta, a basin-wide 30-year investment plan and a 5-year priority investment plan. The Charta promotes Integrated Water Resources Management, defines procedures for the examination and approval of new projects, provides a framework for the allocation of water resources between sectors, commits to maintain the integrity of aquatic ecosystems and defines mechanisms for the settlement of disputes between countries and for user participation. Investments include the expansion of irrigated agriculture to improve food security, the construction of the Taoussa (or Tossaye) dam in Mali and the Kandadji Dam in Niger (the latter has been under construction since August 2008), as well as the rehabilitation of the Kainji dam and Jebba dam in Nigeria.^[a]

Funding

Most of the investments are funded or are expected to be funded through aid. For example, the Kandadji Dam is financed by the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank and the OPEC Development Fund. The World Bank approved a US$500 million soft loan in July 2007 to finance projects in the basin over a 12-year period. Funding will be awarded in two phases. The initial $185 million credit will go to Nigeria, Guinea, Benin, Mali and Niger. The second, $315 million investment, is slated for Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad and Ivory Coast.^[22] Besides financing the rehabilitation of dams in Nigeria, the loan will also fund the "sustainable management of selected degraded ecosystems and rehabilitation of small water infrastructure" and capacity building.^[23]

River transport and dredging

In September 2009, the Nigerian government commenced a 36 billion naira dredging of the Niger River from Baro to Warri, a move which will see silt removed from several hundred kilometres.^[24] The dredging is intended to make it easier for goods to be transported to isolated settlements located deep within from the Atlantic Ocean.^[24] Estimated to be completed within six to eight months, it had first been proposed and then postponed for 43 years previously by the then government.^[24][25] Speaking in Lokoja, Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua stated that the project would lead to "all-year-round navigability" on the River Niger and that he hoped that, by 2020, Nigeria would have become one of the twenty most industrialised nations in the world.^[24][25] Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, the Nigerian Minister of Transport, said his ministry would work to make certain the project would be completed within its designated timeframe.^[25] Some activists have, however, opposed the project in the past, claiming it may have negative effects on waterside villagers.^[24]

In late March 2010 the dredging project was 50% complete.

Old Oyo National Park is one of the national parks of Nigeria, located across northern Oyo State and southern Kwara State, Nigeria.^[1] The park is 2,512 km² of land in northern Oyo state, south west Nigeria, at latitude 8° 15’ and 9° 00’N and longitude 3° 35’ and 4° 42’ E. The location has inevitably placed the park at a vantage position of abundance land area as well as diverse wildlife and cultural/historical settings. Eleven local government areas out of which ten fall within Oyo State and one in Kwara State surround it. The Administrative Head Office is located in Oyo, Isokun area along Oyo-Iseyin road, where necessary information and booking could be made. The landscaping and organized space within the large yard has made the facility very endearing to the public.^[1] It is rich in plant and animal resources including buffaloes, bushbuck and a variety of birds. The park is easily accessible from southwestern and northwestern Nigeria. The nearest cities and towns adjoining Old Oyo National Park include Saki, Iseyin, Igboho, Sepeteri, Tede and Igbeti which have their own commercial and cultural attractions for tourism.

History

The park takes its name from Oyo-lle (Old Oyo), the ancient political capital of Oyo Empire of the Yoruba people, and contains the ruins of this city.^[2] Oyo Ile was destroyed in the late 18th century by Ilorin and Hausa/Fulani warriors at the culmination of the rebellion of Afonja, commander of Oyo Empire's provincial army for which he allied himself with Hausa/Fulani Muslim jihadists.

The national park originated in two earlier native administrative forest reserves, Upper Ogun established in 1936 and Oyo-lle established in 1941. These were converted to game reserves in 1952, then combined and upgraded to the present status of a national park.^[1]

Environment

The park covers 2,512 km², mostly of lowland plains at a height of 330 m and 508 m above sea level. The southern part is drained by the Owu, Owe and Ogun Rivers, while the northern sector is drained by the Tessi River. Outcrops of granite are typical of the north eastern zone of the park, including at Oyo-lle, with caves and rock shelters in the extreme north.

The central part of the park has scattered hills, ridges and rock outcrops that are suitable for mountaineering.

The Ikere Gorge Dam on the Ogun river provides water recreation facilities for tourists.^[1]

Flora and fauna

The Old Oyo National Park was previously habitat for the endangered West African wild dog (Lycaon pictus manguensis). However none now exist in the park due to hunting pressure and the expanding human population in the region.

Olumo Rock is a popular tourist attraction in the city of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. It was used as a fortress by the Egba people in the early 19th century.^[1][2][3] Olumo rock, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nigeria, West Africa, sits in the ancient city centre of Abeokuta – a name which means “Under the rock”; it has a height of 137 metres above sea level.^[4] Abeokuta was originally inhabited by the egba. People who found refuge at the Olumo rock during intertribal wars in the 19th century. The rock provided sanctuary to the people as well as a vantage point to monitor the enemy’s advance leading to eventual triumph in war. The town of Abeokuta eventually grew as these new settlers spread out from this location. Abeokuta is just about an hours drive from the bustling metropolitan city of Lagos providing convenient access to an array of hotels, restaurants, clubs, casinos and various nightlife activities. Lagos is also home to the closest airport to Abeokuta, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Hotels in Abeokuta within minutes drive from the rock include Gateway Hotel and Olumo Guest House.

students of the African church on excursion to the olumo rock

New renovations completed early 2006 upgraded the infrastructure of the site to include a new museum, restaurants, water fountain and an The ancient Itoku market where local artisans and traders enjoy to haggle over price just as much as the customers like to find a bargain ies just outside the Olumo rock premises and is a must-see. The market is the center of the indigenous Abeokuta industry of tie-and-dye, locally known as adire. Adire crafters, usually women, both old and young show off their designs in sheds alongside the roads. Behind these sheds are buildings where many of these crafters live and work and their parents before them. In places where the plaster has cracked off the walls, you may see traces of the mud bricks used in the original construction. The locals are very friendly and if asked, will often give tourists and visitors informal tours of the dyeing processes. Other popular items to watch out for include local beads, bracelets, sculptures and musical instruments like the sekere and talking drum.

view of ogun river from olumo rock

An entrance of the cave in Olumo Rock

A trip to Olumo rock usually commences with a climb up the man-made stairs carved into the rock. The journey continues with climbs on irregularly sized rocks (or ladders which are now provided) through a narrow corridor that leads to the top of the rock. All along the way, catch sights of carvings in the rock, cowrie-studded statues and the ancient abode of the priestesses who live in huts on the rock. Guides are available.

On the way back down the rock, the sight of the Ogun river running like a silver chain amidst a forest of aged red corrugated roofs bordered by thick green forests which melt into the horizon is breathtaking.

Obudu Mountain Resort (formerly known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch) is a ranch and resort on the Obudu Plateau in Cross River State, Nigeria. It was developed in 1951 by M. McCaughley, a Scot who first explored the mountain ranges in 1949. He camped on the mountaintop of the Oshie Ridge on the Sankwala Mountains for a month before returning with Mr. Hugh Jones a fellow rancher in 1951. Together with Dr Crawfeild, they developed the Obudu Cattle Ranch.^[1] Although the ranch has been through troubles since, it has been rehabilitated to its former glory.

Since 2005, a cable car climbing 870 metres (2,850 ft) from the base to the top of the plateau gives visitors a scenic view while bypassing the extremely winding road to the top.^[2]

The resort is found on the Obudu Plateau, close to the Cameroon border in the northeastern part of Cross River State, approximately 110 kilometres (68 mi) east of the town of Ogoja and 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the town of Obudu in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State.^[3] It is about 30 minutes drive from Obudu town and is about a 332 kilometres (206 mi) drive from Calabar, the Cross River State capital.^[4]

Charter air service is available to the Bebi Airport which lies between the village of Obudu and the resort.

Climate

The climate of the Obudu Cattle Ranch is semi-temperate mountain climate, which is the general weather condition experienced on the Obudu Plateau due to its 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) elevation.

Tourism

The ranch has in recent times seen an influx of both Nigerian and international tourists because of the development of tourist facilities by Cross-River State Government, which has turned the ranch into a well known holiday and tourist resort center in Nigeria.^[5]

Gallery

• Play media

A cluster of grazing cattle appears as a speck in a valley at Obudu

• Play media

In the morning, fog passes over Obudu plateau. The hilly area in the top right side of the frame is where the Presidential Lodge is located.

• 

View of mountain layers from Obudu Plateau

• 

Cattle on a ranch on Obudu Plateau

• 

A mountain lodge is shrouded in thick fog in daytime

• 

Fog obscures sunlight and vision on Obudu Plateau

• 

Entrance of the reserve

• 

Mini waterfall at the grotto in Becheve Nature Reserve,^[6] a major attraction on Obudu Plateau

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One of the several waterfalls on Obudu Plateau

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Roadway on Obudu Plateau

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Winding road up Obudu Plateau

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A man posing by the gate of Obudu Mountain Resort

Obudu Plateau is a plateau found on the Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain range, in Cross River State, in the southeast of Nigeria. The plateau is found in Obanliku local government area of the Cross river state. The plateau extends towards Nigeria's south eastern border.

The Sankwala mountain ranges were first explored in 1949 by McCaughley, a Scottish rancher who camped out in the mountains for a month, before returning with Hugh Jones – a fellow rancher who, in 1951, together with Crawfeild developed a cattle ranch on the plateau known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch. Although the ranch has been through troubles since, it has very recently been rehabilitated to its former glory by the Protea South African Hotel chain.^[1]

The Obudu Plateau is spread over an area of over 40 square miles (100 km²) and rises to about 5200 ft (1,584 metres) above sea level.^[2] The plateau is a giant massif in its own right and its peak reaches a height of about 1,716 metres (5,630 ft) above sea level. The plateau is known to be a habitat of rare species of birds.

Location

Obudu Plateau is found on the Oshie Ridge, one of the two ridges that make up the Sankwala Mountains in Cross River state of Nigeria (the other being the Sankwala ridge itself from which the mountain range takes its name).

Climate

The climate on the Obudu Plateau is comparatively cold.The plateau experiences a semi-temperate climate, with temperatures going between 26 °C (78.8 °F) to 32 °C (89.6 °F) during the dry season of November to January. The rainy season in June to September is colder with temperature lows of between 4 °C (39.2 °F) to 10 °C (50.0 °F) recorded.^[3]

The plateau receives heavy and abundant rainfall during the rainy season. A total of 4,200 millimeters of rainfall is received on the plateau between April to November. Orographic activity is a factor contributing to the heavy rainfall. Clouds coming into southern Nigeria from the Atlantic Ocean drop their moisture content onto the plateau as the barrier of the Sankwala mountains forces the cloud upward and the resulting rapid cooling is followed by heavy rainfall on the plateau.^[4]

Topography

The terrain of the Obudu Plateau is hilly with deep gorges.

Attractions

• The Plateau is home to a cattle ranch popularly known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch. The ranch is approximately 65 km from Obudu town, in the northeastern part of Cross River State.^[5]
• The plateau has a tourist lodge, built at an altitude of about 1600 metres above sea level.
• A cable car transport network takes visitors from the foot of the mountain to the top of the plateau.
• An airstrip is located at the foot of the plateau for visitors reaching the plateau by air from other parts of the world.

The Okomu National Park, formerly the Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary, is a forest block within the 1,082 km² Okomu Forest Reserve in the Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State in Nigeria. The park is about 60 km north west of Benin City.^[1] The park holds a small fragment of the rich forest that once covered the region, and is the last habitat for many endangered species. It continues to shrink as villages encroach on it, and is now less than one third of its original size.^[2] Powerful corporations are involved in plantation development and logging concessions around the park, which also pose a threat.^[3]

History

The park holds a remnant of the Nigerian lowland forests that once formed a continuous 50–100 km wide belt from the Niger River west to the Dahomey Gap in Benin. To the south and southeast the forest was separated from the coast by mangrove and swamp forests, while to the north it merged into the Guinean Forest-Savanna Mosaic ecoregion. Human pressure is not new. In the Okomu park there is an extensive layer of charcoal and pottery below the forest, indicating that it was cleared and then regenerated over the last 700 years. By the start of the 20th century the forest survived only in disconnected blocks, which were under intense pressure from human activity. The British colonial administration set up a series of forest reserves to manage what remained, including controlled extraction of valuable trees such as African mahogany.^{[citation needed]}

Khaya senegalensis, or African mahogany. This specimen is growing further inland, near Mount Tenakourou, Burkina Faso, in a savannah region.

The 200 km² wildlife sanctuary, a rainforest ecosystem that is the habitat for many endangered species of flora and fauna, was gazetted from the Okomu Forest Reserve in 1935.^[1] A survey of southwestern forests in Nigeria in 1982 led to a recommendation for a determined effort to conserve the sanctuary. The state government formally defined the sanctuary in 1986, with an area of just 66 km².^[4] The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) took over management of the sanctuary in 1987, and extended it to 114 km² by adding a 1.6-kilometre-wide (1 mi) buffer zone.^{[citation needed]}

The NCF was diverted into assisting migrant farmers in the surrounding areas, in an attempt to help the villagers find alternative means of living without encroaching on the forest.^[4] The NCF agricultural initiatives had the perverse effect of attracting immigrants from poorer areas, and thus increasing the pressure from illegal hunting and logging.^[5] In 1997 it was also found that several NCF employees had been involved in illegal logging within the sanctuary. In May 1999 the sanctuary was taken over by the National Park Service.^[4]

Environment

The park is drained by the Osse River which defines its eastern boundary.^[6] The Okomu River forms the western boundary.^[1] Rainfall is between 1,524 and 2,540 mm per year.^[7] Soils are acidic, nutrient-poor sandy loam. Vegetation is Guinea–Congo lowland rain forest, including areas of swamp-forest, high forest, secondary forest, and open scrub. Among the common trees are Kapok, Celtis zenkeri, Triplochiton scleroxylon, Antiaris africana, Pycnanthus angolensis and Alstonia congoensis.^[6] The park is probably the best example of mature secondary forest in southwest Nigeria.^[8]

The park is accessible to tourists, and has well marked trails. There are two tree houses, one 140 feet high in a silk-cotton tree, from which visitors can view the park from above and observe bird life.^[9] Visitors can stay at chalets built on stilts, just outside the park entrance, surrounded by fig trees that are often occupied by Mona monkeys.^[2] Guides are available for forest walks, and will point out such things as termite nests and the many medicinal plants.^[10]

Fauna

African Forest Elephant

The park has diverse fauna, with 33 species of mammals including the African buffalo and the endangered African forest elephant.^[6] Elephant sightings are rare, although in 2007 a one-year-old elephant carcass was found, unlikely to have died from natural causes. Park officials claim that elephant poaching no longer occurs, despite the high prices commanded for ivory in Lagos.^[11]

There is a population of the vulnerable white-throated guenon, a primate.^[6] Although no thorough study of the primate population has been done since 1982, chimpanzees were reported to be present in the region in 2009.^[8] The number of chimpanzees estimated to live in the Okomu Forest reserve was guessed to be 25–50 in 2003, and some may use the national park at times.^[12] Other animals found in the park include dwarf crocodiles, red river hog, sitatunga, warthog, civet cat, Maxwell's duiker, grass cutter, mona monkey, Thomas's galago and tree pangolin.^[13]

About 150 species of birds have been identified.^[6] These include Angolan pitta, grey parrot, wrinkled hornbill, fish eagle, hawks, woodpeckers, great owl, grey hornbill, cattle egret, black-casqued hornbill, yellow-casqued hornbill, Sabine's spinetail, Cassin's spinetail, black spinetail, white-breasted negrofinch, chestnut-breasted negrofinch, pale-fronted negrofinch and yellow-throated cuckoo.^[13]

Terrestrial molluscs seem exceptionally vulnerable to extinction, and low diversity may indicate subtle environmental problems.^[14] A survey of land molluscs in a small area of the forest found 46 species in 11 molluscan families, of which Streptaxidae snails accounted for over a third. This is much lower diversity than has been found in Cameroon and Sabah. However, it may be due to the very limited sample in just one area.^[15] Perhaps of greater interest to most visitors, the park has over 700 species of colourful butterflies.^[13]

Threats

Visitors must follow strict regulations to avoid degrading the environment.^[1] However, the park is threatened by large-scale illegal logging, the expansion of large rubber and oil-palm plantations nearby, and incursions by a growing human population involved in farming and hunting.^[6] In 2009, the Executive Director of LifeTag, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Lagos, called for urgent action by the Edo State government to prevent further illegal encroachment and destructive logging activities in the park, which both threaten the rare species and will destroy the long-term revenue to be earned from eco-tourism.^[16] The Federal government has said that it is eager to partner with foreign investors to develop eco-tourism in Okomu and other National Parks.^[17]

In October 2010, representatives of the park’s management met with leaders from the seven major communities bordering the park and established a Local Advisory Committee. The conservator of the park, Mohammed Yakubu Kolo, said the committee was to "provide a platform for the park management and the local communities to work together on issues of mutual interest, in order to achieve the park’s set-goals." He went on to say "The establishment of LAC for Okomu Park is the most significant move ever made to guarantee the continuous protection of its diverse rich biological resources and splendour". A forestry officer said the move would help the communities work together to stop poaching.^[18]

The protected area of the Okomu National Forest is too small and too vulnerable. Without further efforts to improve protection, it is unlikely that the forest will remain viable long into the future.

The Okomu Forest Reserve is a forest block covering an area of 1081 km² in Edo State, about 50 km west of Benin City, Nigeria.^[1] The Okomu National Park lies within the reserve. The park holds a small part of the forests that once covered the region, and is the last habitat for many endangered species

Tinapa is a business and leisure resort just north of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria associated with the Calabar Free Trade Zone. It is being developed in four phases under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) promoted by the Government of Cross River State. The resort is located by the Calabar River, contiguous with the Calabar Free Trade Zone.^[1]

Facilities

The Tinapa Free Zone & Resort has facilities for retail and wholesale activities as well as leisure and entertainment. For consumers, the resort has about 80,000 square metres (860,000 sq ft) of lettable space for retail and wholesale made up of four emporiums of 10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft) each and smaller shops, warehouses, and so on. An entertainment strip contains a casino, digital cinema, children's arcade, restaurants, a mini amphitheater, a night club and pubs. There is an artificial tidal lake that feeds from the Calabar River, a Water Park / Leisure Land and parking Space for about 4,000 cars.^[1]

Business facilities include an open exhibition area for trade exhibitions and other events, and a movie production studio commonly called "Studio Tinapa" or "Nollywood". It is set to become the most modern film production studio in Nigeria. There is a 243-room international three star Hotel. The resort also has a truck terminal, and gets power from an independent power plant.^[1]

Project history

Tinapa was initiated by Governor Donald Duke as a way to boost business and tourism in the state. Over $350 million was spent on initial development.^[2] The first phase of Tinapa Business Resort & Free Zone, Calabar, was commissioned on the 2 April 2007.^[1] Tinapa is a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) drive from Calabar by a roundabout route, but the Federal government is building a more direct 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) access road to link it with the city.^[3]

The legal status of the Tinapa Free Trade zone has been uncertain. It is owned by the Cross River state government, but only the Federal government can operate a free trade zone. Governor Liyel Imoke appealed to the Federal Government to take a stake in the project, and to remove uncertainty about its status which is hindering investment. He suggested that one approach could be to decouple the leisure facilities from the trading zone.^[3] A February 2008 report by ThisDay newspaper said the Federal Government had not yet approved the operating procedures and guidelines. The resort was almost deserted. The few shops that were staffed would not sell their goods out of concern that customs officials would then force them to close.^[4] A CNN report in 2010 showed that the complex was still largely empty, while interest payments on the construction cost of the complex were rising. Liyel Imoke told the CNN reporter that the state government was looking for private sector investors who could run the project more efficiently.^[5]

A March 2010 report in the Daily Champion was optimistic. The report acknowledged that the project had suffered from bureaucratic delays, that there had been rumors of corruption and project abandonment, with key infrastructure incomplete. However, the report said that 90% of infrastructure and facilities were now ready, and that shops were now selling duty-free goods. It also claimed that the resort was increasingly being used for business and government functions, as planned.^[6] In September 2010 Imoke said the government was focusing on resuscitating the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort.^[7] A May 2011 report from the Daily Trust was entitled "Tinapa is dying". It said most of the shops had closed, and the other facilities such as the exhibition space and movie studio had not been used for a long time. The hotel was open but had hardly any guests. Only the water park was busy, since the reporter had visited during a school holiday.

activity

Type: Recreation

The magic of the Abuja Wonderland is better experienced than imagined. Strategically located near the National Stadium, this first of its kind amusement park in Nigeria was commissioned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to provide leisure and relaxation for fun seekers of all ages.

Exciting activities to engage include roller coasters, ocean cars, frog jump, bumper car, cowboy mini wheel, happy worm capsule, carousel, pirate ship, flying tower and bouncy castles, among others.

Food is not allowed to be brought in as food outlets and drink booths abound within the park provide refreshments such as Hot Dogs, Corn Dogs, Wonder Dog, Chili Cheese Fries and Burritos, among others. A restaurant within the park also provides continental Mediterranean and African cuisines.

Yankari National Park is a large wildlife park located in the south-central part of Bauchi State, in northeastern Nigeria. It covers an area of about 2,244 square kilometres (866 sq mi) and is home to several natural warm water springs, as well as a wide variety of flora and fauna. Its location in the heartland of the West African savanna makes it a unique way for tourists and holidaymakers to watch wildlife in its natural habitat. Yankari was originally created as a game reserve in 1956, but later designated Nigeria’s biggest national park in 1991. It is the most popular destination for tourists in Nigeria and, as such, plays a crucial role in the development and promotion of tourism and ecotourism in Nigeria.^[1] It is also one of the most popular eco-destinations in West Africa.^[2]

History

The open country and villages that surround Yankari National Park are populated by farmers and herders, but there has been no human settlement in the park for over a century. There is, however, evidence of earlier human habitation in the park, including old iron smelting sites and caves.

In 1934, the Northern Regional Committee made a recommendation to the Executive Council to establish a pilot game reserve in the Bauchi Emirate. This was supported by Alhaji Muhammadu Ngeleruma, a minister in the former northern Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Around this time, he had been impressed by a visit to a Sudanese game reserve while on a trip to East Africa. On returning, he encouraged the moves to establish something similar in Nigeria.^[3]

In 1956, the Northern Nigeria Government approved the plans for the creation of a Game Preservation area. Yankari was identified as a region in the south of what was then Bauchi Province where large numbers of wild animals existed naturally and could be protected. In 1957 a Game Preservation area was carved out and the area was constituted as a Bauchi Native Authority Forest Reserve.^[3]

Yankari was first opened to the public as a premier game reserve on 1 December 1962. Since then, the Northern Eastern State Government and then the Bauchi State Government both managed the Yankari Game Reserve. The park is now managed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Park Service.^[4]

In 1991 it officially became a National Park by decree 36 of the National Government.^[5]

Ecotourism

Ecotourism or ecological tourism is now favoured by many global environmental organizations and aid agencies as a vehicle to sustainable development. It promotes conservation of biological diversity by protecting ecosystems and has the local culture, flora and fauna as the main attractions. Yankari National Park fulfills these criteria.

In 2000, Yankari National Park hosted over 20,000 tourists from over 100 countries. This makes it the most popular tourist destination in Nigeria and, if properly managed, it could become a significant part in the development and promotion of tourism throughout Nigeria.^[3] It is one of a few remaining areas left in West Africa where wild animals are protected in their natural habitat.

Geography

Yankari National Park lies in the southern part of the Sudan Savannah. It is composed of savannah grassland with well-developed patches of woodland. It is also a region of rolling hills, mostly between 200m and 400m. Kariyo Hill, is the highest point at 640m.

Annual rainfall in the park is between 900mm and 1,000mm. The rainy season is from May to September. Temperatures range between 18C and 35C. During the dry season, the harmattan wind blows from the Sahara, often bringing dusty skies and night temperatures fall as low as 12C. The hottest period falls in March and April, when temperatures can rise above 40C in the day.

In the dry season, larger wildlife in the park depend on the Gaji river and its tributaries for survival. This river is the only watershed and cuts the park in two. Marshall estimated the area of the Gaji River Valley used by elephants in the dry season at about 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi).^[6] . This increases the chances of seeing elephants at this time of year.

The park’s main entrance is at Mainamaji village, about 29 km from Dindima. It is located within the Duguri, Pali and Gwana districts of Alkaleri LGA, Bauchi State. This LGA has a population 208,202 people occupying a total land area of 7,457.78 square kilometres (2,879.46 sq mi).

Geology

The whole park lies on the Kerri formation, of Tertiary age, which is composed of sandstone, silt stones, kaolinites and grits. Underneath this lies the Gombe formation, of Cretaceous age, composed of sandstones, silt stones, and ironstones. The valleys of the Gaji, Yashi and Yuli Rivers are filled with Alluvium of more recent age. Sandy loans and clayey soils of riverine alluvium occur in the valley of the Gaji Yashi and Yuli Rivers. East of the Gaji valley is a 5–7 km wide band of very poor sandy soils that support a shrub savanna formation ^[7]

Wildlife

African bush elephants in Yankari National Park

Yankari has rich wildlife resources. The park is an important refuge for over 50 species of mammal including African bush elephant, olive baboon, patas monkey, Tantalus monkey, roan antelope, western hartebeest, West African lion, African buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck and hippopotamus. The Sudan cheetah long ago extirpated from the area. Lion population in Yankari is on the verge of extinction. Only 2 lions remained in the park in 2011. Leopard long presumed to be extinct in Yankari, but in April 2017 one adult male was captured on WCS camera-trap.

There are also over 350 species of bird found in the park. Of these, 130 are resident, 50 are Palearctic migrants and the rest are intra-African migrants that move locally within Nigeria. These birds include the saddle-billed stork, guinea fowl, grey hornbill, and the cattle egret.^[8] In recent years there have been no sightings of Critically Endangered White-backed Vultures in Yankari and species probably extirpated from reserve.

Yankari is recognized as having one of the largest populations of elephants in West Africa, estimated at more than 300 in 2005. The growth of the elephant population has become a problem for surrounding villages at times as the animals enter local farms during the rainy season. The elephants have also stripped the park of many of its baobab trees.

Features

Due to underground geothermal activity, Yankari National Park also features four warm water springs. The camp is named after the most well known of these, the Wikki Spring, from the local Duguri language with “Wikki” meaning “where are you?”. The Wikki Warm Spring is the largest spring and is about 13.0 metres wide and 1.9 metres deep. It daily flows 21,000,000 litres of clear, spring water into the Gaji river.^[9] The spring has a constant temperature of 31.1 °C through the year during both day and night and has been developed for recreation.

The other warm water springs are Dimmil, Gwan, and Nawulgo springs. A fifth spring, Tungan Naliki, is the only cool spring in the park.

Evidence of early human settlements

• Dukkey Wells – 139 wells with interconnecting shafts representing an elaborate water storage system.^[9]
• Marshall Caves – 59 dwelling caves dug into sandstone escarpments, which were discovered by P.J. Marshall in 1980. There are rock paintings and engravings in zig-zag form and in straight lines.^[9]
• Tunga Dutse – a rock with more elaborate engravings than the Marshall caves. Legible writings cover an area on the sandstone rock embankment of about 4m in length in Dwall River. The writings are legible. However, their age and meanings have not been determined ^[10]
• Iron Smelting – the shau shau iron smelting works has about 60 standing shaft furnaces, which are believed to be the largest historical industrial complex of its time in the West Africa Sub-region ^[1]

Geographical features

• Kalban Hill – meaning “flat place” a flat topped hill gives tourists a complete view of the park
• Kariyo Hill – located near the Marshal caves is a beautiful picnic ground
• Paliyaram Hill – a popular camp for poachers, located 10 km from Wikki.
• The Tonlong Gorge – a scenic gorge with associated hills, buttes and escarpments located in the west of the park

Tourist facilities

The “Wikki Camp” is the tourist centre of the park. Located about 42 kilometres from the main entrance gate, the camp is built beside, and named after, the Wikki warm spring, which is open for swimming 24 hours a day. There are 110 furnished chalets with varying size and quality, ranging from the ‘’presidential’’ suites to the youth hostel, all of which are being upgraded in phases. The camp also provides a restaurant, bar and conference centre. Daily safari trips depart at least twice from the camp.

The museum in the camp is well stocked with a variety of skins, tusks, bones and fully mounted stuffed game from the park. It is educational while also acting as a conservation centre, displaying hunting gear and traps taken from poachers.

Zuma Rock is a large monolith, an igneous intrusion composed of gabbro and granodiorite, that is located in Niger State, Nigeria. It rises spectacularly immediately north of Nigeria's capital Abuja, along the main road from Abuja to Kaduna off Madala, and is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to Abuja from Suleja."^[1] Zuma Rock rises 725 metres (2,379 ft) above its surroundings.^[2]
Zuma is depicted on the 100 naira note. It was used for a defensive retreat by the Gbagyi people against invading neighbouring tribes during intertribal warring.
SOURCE:wikipedia