Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
CHAD Basin National Park is regarded as the conventional basin of the famous Lake Chad, is indeed a veritable heaven of adventure where visitors are spoilt with activities that will instill in them, a sense of adventure and an amazing camaraderie with nature’s most interesting scenery and wildlife.
The park hosted prince Philip in 1989 when he was the president of WWF and some parts of the park were also visited by Charles and Diana in 1990.
The park is one of the seven (7) National Parks in Nigeria, under the overall administration of the Nigeria National Park Service (NNPS), a Federal Parastatal under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Environment established by Act 46 of 1999 (LFN Cap 65 of 2004).
The Park has the same organizational structure as the six (6) sister Parks, being operated under Category II of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources otherwise known as the World Conservation Union (WCU).
Chad Basin National Park falls between the two States of Borno and Yobe, covering a total land area of 2,258km2.The Park is composed of basically three Sectors which are spatially remote from one another i.e. one Sector: Chingurmi-Duguma in: Borno; and two Sectors; Bade-Nguru Wetlands and Bulatura Oases in Yobe in the Sahel ecological zone.
Chingurmi Duguma:
The is the largest with an area of 1,228km2 and it’s located in Borno State, it is an extension of Waza National Park in Cameroon. This sector which was first established as a forest or game reserve in 1975 under Borno Province, is dominated by Acacia-Balanites woodland complex interspaced with a dense stand of elephant grasses in definitely stratified formation to add to the natural beauty of the ecosystem.
Yusufari, Yobe State Bulatura Oasis Sector:
This sector is located in the Yusufari Local Government Area of Yobe State and covers an area of 92km. It is made up of a series of fertile dune depressions (swampy valleys) referred to as Oases and also includes highly scenic sand dunes that hold great potential for ecological and adventure tourism. The valleys contain rich deposits of potash.
Bade Nguru Wetlands:
This sector is part of the internationally renowned Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands and it covers an area of 938KM2. Situated southwest of Bade and Jakusko Local Government Areas of Yobe State, the focal point of the sector is the Dagona Waterfowl Sanctuary that is internationally significant as a host to migrant birds. This is one of West Africa’s most important stop-over points for birds migrating from Europe. It has been listed as an IBA (Important Birds Areas) supported by Birdlife International. During the dry season, this is the place where many thousands of European birds seeking sanctuary in Africa migrate to in order to escape the harsh European winter.
Wildlife:
Each sector has its own attraction be it fauna, topology and beauty for instance a large part of the Chingurmi Dugama area of the park was some times flooded by water from the Dorma River during the rainy season, creating floodplain wetlands which attracts water birds and other wildlife. The sector has recorded 66 species of birds which include guinea fowl, black-crowned crane, demoiselle crane, Arabian bustard, Aviles bustard, African-collared dove, yellow-breasted barbet, black-scrub robin, chestnut-bellied starling, Sudan-golden sparrow, white stork, grey-breasted helmet guinea fowl, pallied harrier etc.
The Yusufari, Bulatura Oasis Sector of the park also plays abode to some rare desert wildlife like giraffe, ostrich, red fronted gazelle, jackals, mongoose, giant tortoise, panta monkeys, porcupine, ratel, spotted hyena, common duiker, warthog, dorcas gazelle, sitatunga, varieties of waders, glossy ibis, pelicans, secretary bird, knob billed goose, pintail, bustards etc. Also found close to the park is the famous Lake Chad which is paramount interest to tourists for boating, birdwatching, visit to numerous fishing villages in the area and watching some aquatic animals which include hippopotamus, crocodile, clawless otter and is also the only stronghold of giraffes and ostriches in Nigeria.
A 2007 report estimated that there were about 100 elephants in the Chingurmi Duguma sector, which may still migrate to and from the Waza Park. The Cameroon and Nigerian park authorities have been cooperating to prevent poaching of wildlife and to raise awareness among the local people of the longer-term value of conservation. There have been discussions by the IUCN over making the sector and the Waza National Park an internationally designated protected area.
So when looking for somewhere to spend an adventurous, magical time look to this park and have a fantastic time
