The Udi–Nsukka Plateau is a pair of nearly connected plateaus located in south-central Nigeria. It forms one of the country’s most prominent highland regions, extending through Enugu State and parts of Kogi State, Anambra State, and Ebonyi State. Coal was discovered there in 1909, making Nigeria the first coal-producing nation in West Africa. The area is inhabited mainly by the Igbo and Igala peoples.
Geography
The Udi–Nsukka Plateau forms a nearly continuous elevated zone divided into the Nsukka Plateau in the north and the Udi Plateau in the south. The Nsukka Plateau extends for about from Nsukka in the north to Enugu in the south, forming the main eastward-facing escarpment. The Udi Plateau continues southward for another toward Okigwe, where it becomes the Awgu–Okigwe Cuesta. The average elevation is slightly above , and the highest point, high, lies about north-northwest of Enugu.
Despite poor, sandy, and acidic soils with areas of severe erosion, the plateau supports intensive subsistence agriculture. Yams and oil palm are the most important crops, alongside maize, cassava, taro, pumpkin, avocado, and various fruits. Cashew trees were introduced in the 1950s and are now widespread.