Nigeria Launches National Geopark Movement with Greater Zuma Geopark Initiative

Nigeria has taken a significant step towards establishing a national geopark movement with the successful conclusion of the First Nigeria Workshop on Geoparks and the launch of the Greater Zuma Geopark Initiative at the Zuma Rock Geopark and Resort, Niger State which took place on 17th-18th August 2026.

Sponsored and hosted by the Zuma Rock Geopark and Resort in partnership with the Niger State Government, the national workshop brought together stakeholders from government, academia, geoscience professional bodies, tourism, traditional institutions, civil society and the private sector. The event was declared open by the Executive Governor of Niger State, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Umar Bago, represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism.

The workshop was a stakeholders national initiative, not a UNESCO sponsored event, with representatives from the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), which is the custodian of all geological data in Nigeria, offered insights on geoheritage potentials in Nigeria. The National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM) was represented and offered proper guidance on administrative procedures for UNESCO engagement going forward, members of the UNESCO International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) Nigeria National Committee (IGGP-NNC) participated to sensitize the public on technical guidelines and global best practices which is part of their National Committee mandate. The office of the National Assembly Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals Development was represented. The representation provided an opportunity to examine potential legislative interventions for the protection and conservation of Nigeria’s vulnerable geoheritage resources.

Other national stakeholders include Geological Society of Nigeria (GSN), Nigeria Mining and Geoscience Society (NMGS), Nigerian Association of Engineering Geologists and the Environment (NAEGE), Nigerian Geoheritage Association (NGA), Women in Mining Nigeria (WIM) and the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria. Academic participation included the Head of Department of Geology and Gemology, University of Abuja and the Head of Federal University of Technology, Minna, while representatives of the Ikogosi Warm and Cold Spring Resort, Ekiti State, and Obudu Ranch Resort Cross River State represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State also participated. The Emirate of Zazzau Suleja, District Head of Tafa and the Local Governments Chairmen of Tafa, Suleja and Gurara participated.

The workshop highlighted that the Greater Zuma Geopark proposal is not based on Zuma Rock as an isolated monument, but on a wider geological landscape that records a significant chapter in the assembly of the West African regional continental crust. According to the geological narrative presented at the workshop, the area preserves the classical relationship between ancient migmatite-gneiss basement and younger granitic to syenitic intrusions associated with the Pan-African tectono-magmatic evolution of the Nigerian Basement Complex, approximately 600 million years ago. Greater Zuma Rock area provides an exceptionally accessible expression of this geological history, including Zuma Rock’s intrusive contact, joint-controlled weathering, exfoliation, spheroidal weathering and long-term differential erosion.

The proposed geopark extends this geological story beyond the flagship monolith to surrounding inselbergs, structural ridges, weathering landscapes, drainage systems and the wider landscape towards Gurara Waterfalls, creating the basis for a coherent network of geosites rather than a single tourist attraction. The area also combines geological significance with cultural heritage, including caves and rock shelters associated with indigenous traditions, as well as significant educational, scientific and tourism opportunities.

A field expedition formed part of the workshop, including an inspection of a cultural and archaeological rock cave accessed through 342 newly constructed elevation steps at the resort. The presence of traditional and archaeological materials provided a practical illustration of how geological heritage, cultural history and community identity can be conserved and interpreted together.

The workshop established a Local Geopark Management Committee, led by the Niger State Government, to coordinate the next phase of development. The immediate priority is the commencement of systematic geosites and geoheritage mapping across the proposed Greater Zuma area, alongside structured community engagement. The exercise will provide the scientific basis for defining the eventual geopark boundary and developing its conservation, educational, cultural and tourism framework, including geotrails and interpretation facilities.

Stakeholders also agreed to establish the Nigeria Geoparks Network (NGN) to bring together aspiring geopark areas and operators across the country for sharing of best practices, technical cooperation, sensitisation, capacity building and international outreach. The network is intended to encourage other Nigerian destinations with significant geological, cultural and tourism assets to begin their own structured geopark development processes.

The Greater Zuma Geopark is therefore being developed as an emerging national geopark with the long-term ambition of pursuing UNESCO Global Geopark recognition. Its case rests on the combination of internationally relevant geological heritage, scientific and educational value, living cultural heritage, biodiversity and sustainable tourism within a coherent geographical landscape.

The workshop consequently marks the transition from concept and sensitisation to technical implementation, beginning with geoheritage mapping and community engagement and laying the foundation for a coordinated national geopark movement in Nigeria.