The Case of Kainji National Park, Nigeria

There are two states in Nigeria that contain the national park known as Kainji National Park. These states are Niger and Kwara. It was established in 1978 and has a total area of approximately 5,341 km² (2,062 sq mi). The park is divided into three distinct areas: one portion of Kainji Lake, where fishing is prohibited; the Borgu Game Reserve, which is located to the west of the lake; and the Zugurma Game Reserve, which is located to the southeast of the lake.

In 2021, the National Parks Service made the decision to temporarily suspend operations and research in the Kainji National Park due to the high level of insecurity in the surrounding area. In addition, the Chad Basin National Park and the Kamuku National Park both made the same decision to suspend operations.

History

The Zugurma Game Reserve, the Borgu Game Reserve, and the Kainji Lake Game Reserve are the three main sectors that make up the Kainji National Park, which was established in 1978. In 2005, the protected area became part of what is now known as the Lion Conservation Unit, which also includes Yankari National Park. The park is administered by the Federal National Park Service (FNPS), which receives direct funding from the federal government. The park is owned by the state. This indicates that enforcement measures against poachers can be prosecuted under the law governing national parks, rather than in the courts of the surrounding communities.

Geography

The Borgu Game Reserve covers an area of 3,929 km² (1,517 sq mi) and is predominantly covered by savanna forest. In comparison, the Zugurma Game Reserve covers an area of only 1,370 km² (550 sq mi) (529 sq mi). The Kainji Lake is a reservoir that is 136 kilometres (85 miles) in length and separates the two primary sections of the park. There are no access roads in the Zugurma sector, and the Borgu sector is the only one that is utilised for tourists.

The water from the Borgu Game Reserve eventually makes its way into the Oli River, which is a tributary of the Niger River. The water from the other parts of the reserve, however, flows directly into the lake via four smaller rivers. There is very little drainage in the Zugurma Game Reserve; most of the smaller waterways get dry during the dry season; nevertheless, there are a few permanent water holes along the Oli River and elsewhere in the park. While the Zugurma sector is made up of a low plateau with soils derived from sandstone that have been considerably eroded in places, the Borgu sector is made up of undulating hills with some quartzite ridges and ironstone pans. The average rainfall for the year is approximately 1,100 millimetres (43 inches), and the rainy season lasts from May until November, while the dry season lasts from December until April.

Flora

In the Borgu sector’s savanna woodland, Burkea africana, Terminalia avicennioides, and Detarium microcarpum predominate as the dominant plant species. Below the quartzite ridges, Isoberlinia tomentosa is the most common plant species. Further down the hillsides, on the relatively dry lower slopes, there are stands of Diospyros mespiliformis, with Polysphaeria orbuscula serving as an understory plant. Terminalia macroptera can be found in wet savannas, whereas Isoberlinia doka prefers higher land and can be found in ironstone locations. The tree cover in the Zugurma sector is representative of the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic. Despite the fact that this region has been overgrazed and eroded, the majority of the forest can be found in close proximity to waterways and waterholes. Common trees here include Afzelia africana, Daniella oliveri, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Terminalia schimperiana, Parkia clappertoniana, Vitellaria paradoxa, Detarium microcarpum, Isoberlinia doka, Uapaca togoensis and Khaya senegalensis.

Fauna

There have been sightings of 65 different species of mammals, 350 different species of birds, and 30 different species of reptiles and amphibians in the park. These include the lion, leopard, caracal, elephant, and African manatee; various species of antelope; the hippopotamus; the African wild dog; the honey badger; the cheetah; the Senegalese bushbaby; and numerous species of monkeys and the African clawless otter. Reptiles include the Nile crocodile and the West African slender-snouted crocodile, as well as four species of turtles, two species of monitor lizards (the Nile monitor and the savannah monitor), various kinds of snakes and lizards, and 12 species of amphibians. There are 82 different types of fish that may be found in Lake Kainji. Because of poor drainage, overgrazing by cattle, poor quality vegetation, and frequent poaching, the Zugurma sector’s fauna has a lower species diversity compared to the Borgu sector’s fauna.

Kainji Lake National Park lions

One of the most well-known and charismatic animals on the planet is the lion, which belongs to the species Panthera leo. It is an ecological keystone species because of its position as an apex predator, and the state of its population in a given region is illustrative of the overall health of the ecosystem. The long-term goal of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is to achieve a population density of lions that is equal to or greater than the carrying capacity of each habitat in which we are working to protect them. We envision the lion playing its full ecological role as a top predator across a significant portion of its original range and continuing to serve as an icon for Africa’s wild places. This would allow the lion to fulfil its potential in terms of both conservation and tourism. Lion populations in West Africa are particularly small and fragmented, and as a result, they have recently been classified as Critically Endangered. This is despite the fact that lions are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Recent genetic studies have highlighted the differences between lions in southern and East Africa and those in West and Central Africa. These findings suggest that lions in West and Central Africa may merit separate taxonomic status than lions in southern and East Africa. Lions can now only be found in two places in Nigeria: Kainji Lake National Park and Yankari Game Reserve. In the past, they were found all across northern Nigeria.

Conclusion 

Zugurma, Borgu, and Kainji Lake Game Reserves make up 1978’s Kainji National Park. In 2005, the protected area joined Yankari National Park and the Lion Conservation Unit. The Governmental National Park Service (FNPS) manages the park using federal funds. State park. Poachers can be tried under national park law, not in local courts.