Today’s A Journey through Aesthetic Realms will be presented in Bassa and English, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Persian, Portuguese, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Halo nature loving viewers, and welcome to A Journey through Aesthetic Realms on Supreme Master Television. The Savanna Botanic Gardens, or SABOGA, is located in the town of Bafut, of the Mezam Division, in the Northwest region of Cameroon.

Today, we will explore the natural enchantment of this tropical paradise and the philosophy of its late founder, Professor Ngwa Che Francis. We shall also hear from Randulph Che Akenji, the manager and conservationist of the Gardens.

Greetings everyone. Welcome to the Savanna Botanic Gardens, situated in Bafut, Northwest region of Cameroon. I’m Randulph Che Akenji, the manager and conservationist of the Garden.

The Fondom or Kingdom of Bafut is one of the most renowned monarchies in Northwest Cameroon and is rich in tradition. With an enlightened understanding of the need for environmental protection and conservation of nature, the current Fon, or king, of Bafut, His Royal Highness Fon Abumbi II, kindly allocated 17 hectares of land to establish the Savanna Botanic Gardens.

The space includes a forest reserve near the old palaces of Mbebli and Njibujang. The Mbebli palace was erected by the Bafut people upon their initial arrival from Tikari some 400 years ago. It bears the tombs of the first three Bafut Fons, namely Firloo, Nebasi Suh and Ambebi. Now serving as an arboretum, it is also the place for the famous Bafut Annual Dance “Abin.” The creation of the Gardens was directed by a truly inspirational person.

Savanna Botanic Gardens, called SABOGA, was created in 1994, by the late Professor Ngwa Che Francis whose statue is beside me. He was a botanist and an environmentalist. He had keen interest in environmental protection, as well as nature conservation.

Professor Ngwa Che Francis obtained his Ph.D. in botany with a concentration on cytogenetics from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. In 1993, he became the Chief Manager of Protected Areas in Cameroon’s former Ministry of the Environment and Forestry. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed the provincial delegate for the Ministry with the rank of Sub Director of the Northwest region. In 1999, he became the Sub Director of the Ministry.

He was behind the establishment of numerous gardens throughout Cameroon, including the Nvog-Betsi Zoo-Botanical Garden in Yaoundé and carried out widespread environmental awareness activities. After detailed research and analysis, he directed the planning and layout of the Savanna Botanic Gardens. In his design of the space he took into account the culture, history and traditional values of the local populace.

So, what inspired the late professor to set up this place?

Professor Ngwa Che Francis was inspired to set up a place like this because of the passion he had towards environmental protection and nature conservation; and also, to set it as a practical example of how people could live in harmony with the environment and nature.

The Gardens include a herbarium, an orchard, a nursery, a demonstration organic farm, a savanna forest, an African jungle village, as well as a meditation center. In addition, many sections bear their own specific theme, such as the “Will you Marry Me Corner,” the “Bantu Village,” the “Millennium Botanica,” the “Muslim and Christian Prayer Ground,” and the “Dr. Martin Luther King Equality Center.”

Professor Ngwa Che Francis introduced 16 species of palm and a rich collection of orchids to the Gardens. Today SABOGA has among the largest assemblages of different orchid species in the nation. In addition, SABOGA’s herbarium has kept a close relationship with the Limbe Botanic Garden in Limbe, Cameroon, the National Herbarium in Yaoundé, Cameroon and the UK’s famed Kew Gardens. Let’s now take a tour of SABOGA, and have a look at its diverse flora.

So, what have you got in these gardens?

In this garden we have a variety of plants, including flowers, trees, ornamental palms, and a variety of fruit trees.

This is our orchard, where we have varieties of fruit trees; for example, guavas, mango trees, pineapples, and pawpaw trees, all for visitors to enjoy themselves when they’re in the garden. They’re all organic, fresh and succulent.

The savanna highlands of Northwest Cameroon are very rich in medicinal plants and other rare indigenous flora species still unknown to the rest of the world. Many such precious species have been introduced into the herbarium of SABOGA, which hosts more than 100 researchers and university students each year.

In this natural environment, the students can study the reproduction, development, and ecology of the plants. Such research activities can enhance the understanding of the value of these plants to the ecosystem, which in turn enables the development of better methods for their preservation.

We have over a hundred species of plants in this garden. Some are medicinal. For example this one is called wuakanga and it has been said that it is used in the treatment of cancer.

Savanna Botanic Gardens harbors some 260 species of plants, some of which are highly endangered. We have plant species that have been extinct elsewhere, which are found here for posterity and for future multiplication.

Besides species conservation, SABOGA is also involved in other projects such as promoting agroforestry, where crops and trees are cultivated together according to scientific principles to achieve increased harvests and environmental preservation. SABOGA is also actively in horticulture and landscaping.

Through such eco-friendly activities, the Gardens not only provide an example of good practices for farmers and others to follow, but also generate income which is used to support its conservation work. To serve as a model of green living, SABOGA’s buildings are constructed utilizing materials that have minimal environmental impact.

In keeping with our concept of environmental and nature protection, even the huts in the garden have been constructed with local material; for example, the roof is made up of straw grass and the walls with bamboos and sticks.

Professor Ngwa Che Francis was a fervent advocate of organic farming. He believed in this natural and green method of cultivation, which uses no herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers, because it produces quality, healthful food that is entirely free of agrochemical toxic residue. He maintained that food grown using modern industrialized farming practices is detrimental to human health. Therefore at SABOGA there is a farm dedicated to the promotion of organic agriculture.

When we cut the grass, we put it in heaps; we then allow it to decompose, and use it as manure to nourish our plants.

Bafut is one of the top tourist destinations in Northwest Cameroon due to the town being the center of the Fondom of Bafut and for its amazing crafts industry. With its wonderful flora and elements reflecting the proud heritage of the Bafut people, the Savanna Botanic Gardens is yet another attraction to bring people to the Northwest region and provides a quiet and natural environment for relaxation, rejuvenation and leisure.

Since its creation, it has received numerous visitors not only from all over Cameroon but also around the world. Through Professor Ngwa Che Francis’ leadership, the Savanna Botanic Gardens has become an outstanding example of conservation and sustainability. His philosophy of living in harmony with nature is truly uplifting. He once said that human life is simply a single component of many that together make up nature.

He advanced that it would be impossible for humans to survive in a manner lacking of the other elements; and therefore it is in the very highest interest of humans to create ways by which they can maintain a mutually respectful, harmonious and sustainable relationship with the other components of nature. He also said if humans were to destroy other portions of nature either by accident or purposefully, this would imply that humans have opted for self-destruction, since human survival is inevitably dependent on the welfare of all the elements of the ecosystem.

Bearing this philosophy in mind, Professor Ngwa Che Francis deemed it necessary for people to be set up facilities and structures that celebrate and remind us of our symbiotic relationship with other species in the biosphere. This explains why during his lifetime he pioneered a campaign to set up gardens throughout Cameroon. Professor Ngwa Che Francis also advocated that peace is one of the fundamental ingredients of human relationships and that every possible step should be taken to preserve harmony.

He told his story of peace in a highly symbolic manner, by planting a wide variety of flora in gardens and demonstrating how the harmonious co-existence of these plants produced beautiful and admirable scenery. The same loveliness could not be achieved if the gardens contained but a single plant. Professor Ngwa Che Francis sadly passed away on September 9, 2007. Even at the very end of his life, he was concerned about the future of the Savanna Botanic Gardens, and advised that work there should carry on.

He said every necessary step should be taken to ensure its continued existence, so that young people can be inspired and empowered to further the cause of nature conservation. In his autobiography Professor Ngwa Che Francis recollected his life-long efforts to grow plants and cultivate gardens to honor Mother Earth. May his soul rest peacefully in Heaven while we continue his efforts to protect our precious environment for many generations to come!

Finally, many thanks Randulph Che Akenji for taking time to walk us through the magnificent Savanna Botanic Gardens. May many more people enjoy a relaxing and informational visit to this splendid place that leaves a lasting memory and an increased love and understanding of nature.

For more details on the Savanna Botanic Gardens, please visit

Generous viewers, we very much enjoyed your company on today’s edition of A Journey through Aesthetic Realms. Coming up next is Vegetarianism: The Noble Way of Living, after Noteworthy News. May enlightenment and wisdom always be part of your life!