Kainji National Park is located in Niger State and Kwara State, Nigeria. It was created in 1978 and covers an area of about 5,341 km² (2,062 square miles). The park has three different areas: part of Kainji Lake where fishing is not allowed, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast.
In 2021, the National Parks Service stopped all operations and research in Kainji National Park because of security issues in the region. Operations were also paused in Chad Basin National Park and Kamuku National Park.
A plan to restore Kainji Lake National Park is now underway. West African Conservation Network, an organization based in Nigeria and the United Kingdom that works to protect the environment and wildlife, has started working with the Nigeria National Park Service to restore the park.
On October 27, 2023, the international organization and the Federal Government of Nigeria signed a 31-year agreement to manage and protect the park together. The WACN Kainji Lake National Park Project aims to address current security challenges and improve the park over the next 10 years through partnerships.
History
Kainji National Park was created in 1978 and is divided into three separate areas: the Zugurma Game Reserve, the Borgu Game Reserve, and Kainji Lake. Since 2005, the protected area has been part of a Lion Conservation Unit along with Yankari National Park. The park is owned by the government and managed by the Federal National Park Service (FNPS), which receives direct funding from the government. This arrangement allows enforcement actions against poachers to be handled under national park laws rather than local court laws.
Geography
The Borgu Game Reserve is mostly covered by savanna forest and covers an area of 3,929 km (1,517 mi), while the Zugurma Game Reserve is smaller, covering 1,370 km (529 mi). The two main parts of the park are separated by Kainji Lake, a reservoir that is 136 km (85 mi) long. The Zugurma sector has no roads for access, and only the Borgu sector is used for tourism.
The southern and western parts of the Borgu Game Reserve flow into the Oli River, a tributary of the Niger River, while other parts flow directly into Kainji Lake through four small rivers. The Zugurma Game Reserve has limited drainage, with smaller waterways drying up during the dry season. However, there are several permanent waterholes along the Oli River and in other areas of the park. The Borgu sector has rolling hills with some quartzite ridges and ironstone pans, while the Zugurma sector has a low plateau with soils formed from sandstone, which are heavily eroded in some places. The average yearly rainfall is about 1,100 mm (43 in), with the wet season lasting from May to November and the dry season from December to April.
Flora
The savanna woodland in the Borgu sector has many trees, including Burkea africana, Terminalia avicennioides, and Detarium microcarpum. Below the quartzite ridges, Isoberlinia tomentosa is the most common tree. On the drier lower slopes, Diospyros mespiliformis grows, with smaller plants like Polysphaeria orbuscula beneath them. Terminalia macroptera is found in moist savannas, and Isoberlinia doka grows on higher ground in areas with ironstone. In the Zugurma sector, the tree cover is typical of the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, but this area has been overgrazed and eroded. The main woodland grows near watercourses 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
The park is home to 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 reptile and amphibian species. These include lions, leopards, caracals, elephants, African manatees, many types of antelope, hippos, African wild dogs, honey badgers, cheetahs, Senegal bushbabies, numerous monkey species, and African clawless otters. Reptiles found in the area include Nile crocodiles, West African slender-snouted crocodiles, four turtle species, Nile monitors, savannah monitors, lizards, snakes, and 12 amphibian species. Lake Kainji contains 82 fish species. The animals in the Zugurma sector are less diverse than those in the Borgu sector because of bad drainage, too much grazing by cattle, poor quality plants, and a lot of hunting.