Foge Islands. 30/04/08; Kebbi, Niger State; 4,229 ha; 10°30'N 004°33'E. National Park. Small islands in Lake Kainji, a reservoir formed by construction of the Kainji Dam on the Niger River in 1968, part of the Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria's oldest. The site forms part of the regional biodiversity hotspot characteristic of the wetlands in the Guinea savanna woodland of Nigeria. It supports over 180 species of birds, and there is also a remnant population of mammals such as western hartebeest, waterbuck, hippopotamus, and green monkeys trapped by the creation of the lake. Local communities fish in the pools and lake and also engage in traditional irrigated agriculture and harvesting of wild resources. The site is managed under the National Park management system in Nigeria, and further management measures include those put in place by the Kainji Lake Research Institute against overfishing, restricting fishnet mesh size and regulating the fishing season. Declining trends in rainfall are leading to long-term low water conditions. Ramsar site no. 1754. Most recent RIS information: 2008.