itself. Everything is in the realm of potential; they never mature
into actuality. That is the reality of the Mambila Plateau, a tourist
haven and one of the many, the country is endowed with. The
irreplaceable Premier of the defunct Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu
Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, saw this prospect in the Mambila
Plateau and fought tooth and nail to ensure that it was not ceded to
the Cameroons.
Mambilla Plateau, as a destination it has one of the best weather
conditions in the country which is cool and always accommodating all
year round, unlike other parts of the country where there are
temperature extremes during the day and night. The Mambilla Plateau is
also free of mosquitoes and tse-tse flies.
Daytime teperature
hardly exceed 25°C on Mambilla; the driest months are from December to
January with relative humidity dropping to about 15 per cent while the
wet season usually starts from August.
Located in the highland region of Taraba State of Nigeria, Mambilla
Plateau houses Chappal Waddi mountain considered the highest point in
Nigeria with an average height of about 2,419 metres (7,936 ft) above
sea level.
The Mambilla Plateau is inhabited by five major ethnic groups with
different cultural heritage. These ethnic groups are; Mambilla, Kaka,
Fulani, Panso and Kambu.
Just as the weather is accommodating, so also are the people of the
Mambilla Plateau, welcoming and so hospitable. At an altitude of some
700m, these villagers live in a different ecological zone where oil
palms grow and gallery forest is found. The Mambilla language is an
amalgam of dialects and related languages.
Beauty of the plateau
The journey to Mambilla starts on a snake-like road from the foot of
the mountain to the top, about 25 to 30 minutes drive where you start
savouring the beauty of the plateau. There are rolling hills,
backdropped with exotic flora and fauna. It has a lot of scenic views
to behold, which while watching the mountain chain and the curvacious
valleys you will have a breath of fresh air that is uncommon in many
other parts of Nigeria.
The major tourism attraction sites on the plateau are: The mountain
chain, the plain green view, and a magnificent water fall. Then there
is the historic site — the famous cave in Mbamnga — Ndumyaji Cave.
There is the rock with a giant foot print of an ancient warrior at
Kabri, the rock with a horse foot print at Hienary, the historic site
of the ancient blacksmith that existed before the modern one at Killa
yang.
There is also the historic rock of the Mbar people that looks like a
woman and her daughter. The Mambilla Plateau is richly blessed with
fertile land, and various crops grow well there. The crops include
banana, plantain, pineapple, yellow pepper, kola nut, red and white
carrots, peas, cassava, cocoa yam, sweet potatoes, Irish Potatoes,
Coffee Arabica, and lots of other fruits. In addition, three or four
types of berries grow there.
It also has the second largest tea plantation in the world second to
the one in India. Livestock like cow, goats, sheep and other rare
birds thrive on the plateau.
There are also natural forests like the Ngel Yaki mountain forest and
the Ndum-yaji forest that are home to very rare species of birds and
trees which have attracted lots of researchers from around the world.
Because of the remote location of the plateau and lack of properly
tarred roads which are still under construction, utility vehicles are
recommended and visitors should make sure that essential camping
equipment and food are included in their journey.
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