Bauchi strengthens security, upgrades facilities at tourism sites

The Bauchi State Government has disclosed that it has enhanced security and upgraded tourism facilities at the Yankari Game Reserve, Sumu Wildlife Park, Lame Bura Forest, Maladumba Lake and other protected areas across the state.

The Managing Director of the Bauchi State Tourism Development Corporation, Dr Muhammad Nasiru, made this known during a press briefing held on Wednesday at the Bauchi State Press Centre.

Nasiru said the briefing was aimed at providing updates on the government’s achievements, ongoing conservation efforts, and the security architecture protecting the state’s ecological assets.

According to him, the reserves had for years suffered threats from poachers, illegal loggers, livestock grazers, and broader regional insecurity linked to banditry.

He said, “Today, I am proud to announce that through strategic resilience, heavily fortified collaborations and targeted funding, we have successfully reclaimed the narrative. Our reserves are not only safe; they are thriving.”

Nasiru disclosed that the government had overhauled tactical and defensive frameworks within the 2,244 square kilometres of the Yankari landscape and neighbouring ecosystems.

He explained that local forest rangers had been integrated into joint patrol teams involving the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, and the vigilante groups to flush out criminal elements using the reserve as hideouts.

The tourism boss also revealed that the government, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society, upgraded its Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool and deployed advanced video surveillance systems and GPS satellite tracking collars on elephant herds.

According to him, rangers had also undergone specialised training in advanced night patrol operations, modern wildlife interpretation, and community engagement strategies.

“Due to rigorous law enforcement and zero-tolerance policies on livestock grazing, arrests of poachers and loggers have plummeted because the deterrence mechanism is finally working,” he stated.

Nasiru commended the Bauchi State Government and the federal government for supporting conservation and tourism development projects in the state.

He specifically praised the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, for what he described as unwavering commitment to the revitalisation of tourism assets in the state.

He insisted that the government’s interventions had led to the rehabilitation of the Wikki Warm Springs, including the construction of new changing rooms, modern restrooms, and improved pavilion areas.

He further disclosed that the main restaurant, executive lodges, and chalets within the reserve had also been renovated to meet international hospitality standards.

The Bauchi tourism boss added that solar-powered lighting systems had also been installed across the resort, camps, and administrative pathways to reduce carbon emissions and noise pollution around wildlife habitats.

He pointed out that the support from the federal government and the World Bank-backed Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project provided safari trucks, upgraded facilities, and field kits for rangers.

The managing director lamposted that aerial surveillance patrols introduced by the Wildlife Conservation Society had also improved monitoring across the vast reserve.

According to him, aircraft now scan the reserve to identify illegal activities such as poaching camps, cattle encroachment, and illegal logging while relaying coordinates to ground patrol teams.

Nasiru insisted that community-based conservation initiatives were being implemented to improve local participation in wildlife protection.

He explained that the Wildlife Conservation Society sponsors educational field trips for schoolchildren and works with farmers around the reserve to establish non-lethal measures, including pepper fences, to prevent elephants from destroying crops.

Speaking on the socio-economic impact of the reforms, Nasiru disclosed that monthly tourist visits to Yankari had increased from about 500 in previous years to over 2,000 visitors.

He added that over 10,000 local vendors, guides, and artisans had benefited economically from the renewed tourism activities.

The tourism corporation also announced plans to enforce mandatory digital e-registration for hotels, transport operators, travel agencies, and tourism-related businesses across the state.

Nasiru maintained that the initiative was designed to improve revenue generation, data management, and security monitoring within the tourism ecosystem.

According to him, the digital registration system would eliminate anonymity in lodging and transport operations while enabling real-time verification of operators.

He stressed that the centralised database would support collaboration with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and military task forces.

“We are sending a clear, uncompromising message to poachers, bandits, and environmental saboteurs: Bauchi’s protected spaces are no longer open for illegal exploits,” he warned.

Nasiru disclosed that the government was finalising a 10-year management plan covering 2025 to 2035 to sustain conservation and security gains across the state’s protected areas.