WATER- A CHERISHED COMMODITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002330 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR TBIO SENV PGOV SOCI NI SUBJECT: WATER- A CHERISHED COMMODITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Hadelia Jama'are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) covers over 45,000 square kilometers with the potential to irrigate 212,000 hectares in Kano, Bauch and Jigawa states. Agriculture is a big driver of Nigerian economic performance representing nearly 41% of GDP and 88% of non-oil government revenues, and employing nearly 70% of the labor force. Funding, re-organization and possible privatization threaten HJRBDA's existence and may hinder increased agricultural production. Competing factors, such as feuding Nigerian states and neighboring country demands for available water require that Nigeria implement a comprehensive integrated water resources management plan. End Summary. . Hadelia Jama'are River Basin Development Authority -------------- -------------- . ¶2. (SBU) In early October, ESTH Officer met with Yahaya Kazaure, Deputy Director for Operations and Maintenance of the HJRBDA in Kano. The HJRBDA is one of ten river basin development authorities created by the Government of Nigeria (GON) in 1976. It occupies an area of 45,000 square kilometers with the ability to irrigate 212,000 hectares in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi states. The Hadejia and Jama'are Rivers have regional signifigance because they join with Lake Chad, which borders Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. ¶3. (SBU) At its inception, the HJRBDA began developing surface and underground water resources for domestic and agricultural purposes, constructing and rehabilitating access roads, improving seeds, livestock and fisheries, providing loans at subsidized rates, mobilizing farmers into self-help and cooperative groups, and providing training and manpower development. . Kano River Success -------------- . ¶5. (SBU) One of their most successful programs is the Kano River Irrigation Project (KRIP),considered one of the largest in West Africa. The KRIP is an entirely gravity fed water distribution network that branches off into canals, tributaries and channels finally reaching farmers at lower elevations for irrigation where they are able to produce rice, maize, sorghum, millet wheat, tomato, onions and cowpeas during the wet and dry seasons. The project is fed by the Challawa Gorge Dam (930 million cubic meters) and the Tiga Dam (1.9 billion cubic meters) also HJRBDA projects. Only 15,000 ha of the original 22,000 ha project is complete with the remaining 7,000 ha under construction. The project provides year-round employment for over 35,000 farmers and their families. Records indicate farmers have produced over 150,000 metric tons of food and cash crops, 100,000 metric tons of byproducts used for livestock feed and other raw materials that helped create over 200 cottage industries. Phase 2 encompassing 40,000 ha has yet to begin. . Bauchi -------------- . ¶6. (SBU) In 1982 the HJRBDA started development in Bauchi of the Kafin Zaki Dam (KZD) with a capacity of 2.7 billion cubic meters surpassing KRIP. This was to be followed by the Jama'are Irrigation Project to irrigate 120,000 ha. Within the area is the Komadugu-Yobe River Basin that is a network of rivers and wetlands in Bauchi, Jigawa and Yobe states. In 1987 the HJRBDA was re-organized and its functions changed to undertake a comprehensive development with an emphasis on erosion and flood control, watershed management and reforestation. The KZD was initially halted due to lack of funding and resumed in 1992. Demands for water still were increasing, but the agreements to the downstream communities were not finalized. Management became fragmented along with ill-defined policies that resulted in conflicts between government agencies. Tension escalated leading to opposition by the downstream states of Yobe and Borno to the construction and the project was finally stopped in 1993/4. ¶7. (SBU) Action has been taken to address some of these issues. The Nigerian National Council on Water Resources established a coordinating committee and the Lake Chad Basin Commission is implementing the Komadugu-Yobe Integrated Management Project, a Global Environment Fund (GEF) supported program for integrated management of Lake Chad and the associated river systems. . Inherent Problems -------------- . ¶8. (SBU) Conservationists, farmers, fisheries and pastoralists are competing for a limited supply of water. Some have blocked ABUJA 00002330 002 OF 002 essential water courses causing flooding and depriving downstream areas. Also contributing are inadequate funding, late release of funds, inadequate enforcement of by-laws, aging irrigation structures that need rehabilitation, changing government policies, the silting of canals and the menacing typha grass. The typha grass clogs channels, drains, rivers, and wetlands, hinders fishing, and the functioning of irrigation systems. It also provides favorable conditions for the spread of water-borne diseases such as malaria. It does have some value, such as purification, but the nitrates in the water help in multiplying the plants growth. . The Future of the HJRBDA and the Region -------------- . ¶9. (SBU) HJRBDA officials believe the integrated rural development schemes begun before the restructuring should be reintroduced. When crop production declined they found that food production had the greatest impact and helped in poverty alleviation. It assisted farmers with badly needed irrigation water in the dry season and supplementary irrigation water during the rainy season. The program made notable achievements in crop rotation, livestock management, and forestry and fishery development. ¶10. (SBU) The HJRBDA recommends the GON set up an appropriate legal, political and institutional framework for sustainable irrigation management that would enable farmers and stakeholders to participate in formulating government policy. The GON should also provide price incentives and low interest rates, with less stringent collateral requirements. Whether the HJRBDA will proceed, is questionable since it has been selected for privatization by the Bureau of Public Enterprises. . Comment -------------- . ¶11. (SBU) The majority of the population in Northern Nigeria lives in the rural areas and their main source of livelihood is agriculture - mainly rain fed. In Nigeria agriculture contributes as much as 41% of gross domestic product, 88 percent of the non-oil foreign exchange and employing nearly 70% of the active labor force. This shows a strong correlation between rainfall, available water and economic growth rates. ¶12. (SBU) Rainfall is reportedly declining which has resulted in reductions in the main watercourses. The drop in water availability results in competition not just with the surrounding states but on a regional basis. Competing factors, such as feuding Nigerian states and neighboring country demands for available water require that Nigeria implement a comprehensive integrated water resources management plan. It is important that the plan include agreement, coordination and implementation with Chad, Cameroon and Niger to be successful. End Comment. PIASCIK