Mambilla Plateau


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 above sea level, making it the highest plateau in Nigeria. Some of its villages are situated on hills that must be at least high above sea level.
Some mountains on the plateau and around it are over high, like the Chappal Waddi mountain which has an average height of about above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Nigeria and the highest mountain in West Africa if Cameroon's mountains, such as Mount Cameroon, are excluded.
The Mambilla Plateau measures about along its curved length; it is wide and is bounded by an escarpment that is about high in some places. The plateau covers an area of over. Gang Mountain is found at the northeastern flank of the Plateau.

Location

The Mambilla Plateau, cradle of the Bantu-speaking peoples,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 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 new 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.
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 exceed making it the coolest region in Nigeria. Strong winds prevail during the daytime, and the rainy season lasts from mid-March until the end of November. 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. 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.

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 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 Majang Forest known officially as 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 height and the cool 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 and widespread erosion on 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, 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, Mvurr, Bang, Mbuk, Ndik, Gam, Mbar, Kara, Mang, Dembe, Nge, Mbun , Furu, Yirrum, Ngumbun, Kuma, Kerke, Mbungnu, New Ndaga, Benene, and Mamal. According to Percival, 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 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, original and predominant group of the Mambilla Plateau are the Fulani and Mambilla. Since the British occupation and thereafter, there has been immigration of other groups including the Kaka, and trading communities of Igbo, Wimbum, Hausa and Banso. The major Languages spoken on the Mambilla Plateau are Fulfulde, mambilla, Kaka, Banso, Igbo, etc. English is used as official language. Note, however, that only the Fulani,Mambilla and Kaka have existing villages while the Fulanis established cattle-farm settlements nestling between these villages in British times.
Christianity and Islam are the main religions today, having gradually displaced the Mambilla Traditional Religion based on Suu, which was the predominant religion before the coming of White missionaries and Hausa-Fulanis; and particularly before the 1970s.

Attractions

A rich culture,
with spectacular cultural dances across the plateau.
Splendid waterfalls dot the Mambilla landscape.