National Parks in Nigeria You Shouldn’t Miss


By Adejoke Adeboyejo

As diverse as its people are, so is Nigeria’s geographical location. With a landmass spanning over 923,768 square kilometres (356,669 square miles) the country is wide and varied.

Within it are tropical rain forests, highlands, islands and deserts, each one rich with diverse flora and fauna. Here are the national parks and nature reserves that have been carved out of Nigeria’s various regions, all of them a delight to the senses.

Old Oyo National Park


Straddling northern Oyo and Kwara is the Old Oyo National Park with a total land mass of 2,512 square kilometres (970 square miles). With this abundant landmass the park not only has a diverse range of wildlife, which includes elephants, buffalo and a wide variety of birds, it also has a rich cultural and historical background emanating from the Old Oyo Empire. Hotels near the park include Carlton Gate Hotel, Ibadan; Owu Crown Hotel, Ibadan; and SDM Tavern Hotel, Ibadan.

The Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve


The Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve contains a stand of rare, dry montane land, and is home to a population of the endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee. Other primates that can be found in the park are the putty-nosed monkey, the mona monkey, and tantalus monkey. It has been classified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area by BirdLife International and is home to 158 bird species.

Lekki Conservation Centre


Located in Lagos, the Lekki Conservation Centre is an urban park – a jungle within a bustling city. The park boasts a 401-metre-long (1,300-foot) canopy walkway, which is said to be the longest canopy walkway in Africa. The entry and exit points of the walkway connect six towers from which visitors can have a full view of the wildlife in the park and the habitat types. The park is home to animals such as monkeys, crocodiles, snakes and different species of birds. The park is especially suitable for bird watching, with a tree house and bird hide erected within the park.

Yankari National Park


Yankari National Park is the most diverse spot in Nigeria and is a delight to any wildlife enthusiast. It has the largest-surviving elephant population in the country (estimated at about 100–150 elephants) and it also supports the critically-endangered West African Lion, which is one of the four known populations that still exist. Other animal populations within the park include buffalo, hippopotamus, roan antelopes, western hartebeest and several monkey species. Visitors can also enjoy a dip in the warm springs, take expeditions into caves or visit the park museum that houses historical artefacts.

Gashaka Gumti National Park


The Gashaka-Gumti National Park, named for the two villages in which the park is located, provides an exquisite experience for nature lovers as well as many other recreational activities. The park consists of the ‘bat forest’, which is so-called due to the large number of fruit bats that roost there at certain times of the year; the hippo pool, which is located upstream the River Kam and where tourists and researchers alike can see and study the hippos at close range. The park has many mountainous areas, one of which is covered by flora unique to Nigeria. Other activities for visitors include horse riding, and sport fishing in the park’s numerous rivers that are well stocked with fish, such as the Nile perch, the tiger fish and the electric fish.

Kainji Lake National Park



Kainji Lake National Park, located between the states of Niger and Kwara, was established in 1976 and has an inselberg landscape with wide plains in between. Some of the rivers within the park include Oli Menei, Doro and Manyara. Some of the animals to be found here are monkeys, lions, pythons, the Nile crocodile, leopards, and hyenas. The park also has a wide variety of birds that are a delight for ornithologists and bird watchers.

CultureTrip

-JP

Article Tags

National Parks

Travel

Nigeria

Cancel

    Most Read