The Mambilla Plateau is a plateau in the Taraba State of Nigeria. The plateau is Nigeria’s northern continuation of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon. The Mambilla Plateau has an average elevation of about 1,600 metres (5,249 ft) above sea level, making it the highest plateau in Nigeria. Some of its villages are situated on hills that must be at least 1,828 metres (5,997 ft) high above sea level. Some mountains on the plateau and around it are over 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) high, like the Chappal Waddi (more appropriate name: Gang) mountain which has an average height of about 2,419 metres (7,936 ft) above sea level.
It is the highest mountain in Nigeria and the highest mountain in West Africa, The Mambilla Plateau measures about 96 km (60 mi) along its curved length; it is 40 km (25 mi) wide and is bounded by an escarpment that is about 900 m (2,953 ft) high in some places, and covers an area of over 9,389 square kilometres (3,625 sq mi). Gang (‘Chappal Waddi’) Mountain is found at the northeastern flank of the Plateau.
The climate of the plateau is comparatively cold. Daytime temperatures hardly ever exceed 25 °C (77.0 °F) making it the coolest region in Nigeria. As a result of its high elevation, the plateau experiences temperate weather conditions but on a smaller scale due to its location in a tropical environment. The Mambilla Plateau is hilly with deep gorges and travelers are constantly passing from one panoramic view to the other. The plateau is entirely covered by soil with occasional occurrence of granite. The plateau is dissected by many streams and rivers ; notably among them are the Donga River and Taraba River, with both having their sources on/from the Mambilla Plateau.