Kafin Zaki Dam
Encyclopedia
The Kafin Zaki Dam is a controversial project to build a reservoir on the Jama'are River
(also called the Bunga River in its upper reaches) in Bauchi State
in the Northeast of Nigeria
.
. It would irrigate 120,000 hectares of arable land on which cash crops could be grown. Potentially the project would support production of one million tonnes of sugarcane annually and provide over one million jobs in industries related to agriculture.
, and during the Shehu Shagari
regime in 1979-1982 a contract was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria to build the dam. In 1984 the contract was terminated, but it was reinstated in 1992 by the Ibrahim Babangida
regime. In 1994 the Sani Abacha
regime terminated the contract again, and set up a judicial committee of inquiry into all aspects of the project. In 2002, funding was allocated for the project, but then abruptly withdrawn.
In 2008 Governor Isa Yuguda
of Bauchi State awarded a contract to the Dangote Group
to restart the abandoned dam project, a move that was supported by Abdul Ahmed Ningi
, a Bauchi state representative who was House Leader in the National Assembly when the project was cancelled in 2002.
and Borno State
argue that the dam will prevent the seasonal floods that their farmers depend upon for farming, and will cause the water table to drop, with much water being lost to evaporation. Environmentalists are also concerned about the impact on downstream wetlands.
Floodplain farmers and fishermen use water much more efficiently than farmers who rely on irrigation from dams. A study funded by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) estimated that the economic value of water in the downstream Hadejia-Jama'are floodplain was US$32.00 per 1,000 m3, while the value of water in the Kano River Project, irrigated by the Tiga Dam
and the Challawa Gorge Dam
was US$1.73 per 1,000 m3, or US$0.04 per 1,000 m3 after accounting for operational costs. The study estimated that if implemented, even with a regulated flooding regime to reduce downstream impact, the Kafin Zaki dam project would have negative value of around US$15 million.
In April 2009 Dr. Hassan Bidliya, Administrative Secretary of the Hadejia-Jama'are-Komadugu-Yobe Basin Trust Fund, advised that any decision should be deferred until the Environmental Impact Assessment on the project had been completed.
In September 2009, three farmers’ associations in downstream Borno State
called for the federal government and Bauchi State government to shelve the project, concerned about the impact on their livelihood.
In August 2009, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan
of Yobe North, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, spoke against the proposed dam. He stated that the Tiga and Challawa dams on the Hadejia River
had already reduced downstream water flow drastically, and the Jama'are River was now the main source of water in the Yobe River
. He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.
Jama'are River
The Jama'are River, also known as the Bunga River in its upper reaches, starts in the highlands near Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria and flows northeast through Bauchi State and Yobe State before joining the Hadejia River to form the Yobe River...
(also called the Bunga River in its upper reaches) in Bauchi State
Bauchi State
Bauchi State is a State in northern Nigeria. Its capital is the city of Bauchi. The state was formed in 1976 when the former North-Eastern State was broken up...
in the Northeast of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
Proposed dam and reservoir
The proposed dam would be of zoned earthfill construction and would be 11 kilometres-long. It would be designed with the potential to install a hydroelectric plant. The reservoir would have a storage capacity of 2,700 million cubic meters, and would be the second largest in Nigeria after the Kainji DamKainji Dam
Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in western Nigeria. Construction of the dam began in 1964 and was completed in 1968. The total cost was estimated at $209 million, with one-quarter of this amount used to resettle people displaced by the construction of the dam and its reservoir,...
. It would irrigate 120,000 hectares of arable land on which cash crops could be grown. Potentially the project would support production of one million tonnes of sugarcane annually and provide over one million jobs in industries related to agriculture.
Project history
The dam was first considered after the 1972-1974 drought in the SahelSahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
, and during the Shehu Shagari
Shehu Shagari
Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, Turakin Sakkwato served as the President of Nigeria's Second Republic , after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo's military government....
regime in 1979-1982 a contract was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria to build the dam. In 1984 the contract was terminated, but it was reinstated in 1992 by the Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
regime. In 1994 the Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
regime terminated the contract again, and set up a judicial committee of inquiry into all aspects of the project. In 2002, funding was allocated for the project, but then abruptly withdrawn.
In 2008 Governor Isa Yuguda
Isa Yuguda
Mallam Isa Yuguda was elected Governor of Bauchi State, Nigeria in April 2007 on the All Nigeria Peoples Party platform.In April 2009 he changed allegiance from the ANPP to the People's Democratic Party ....
of Bauchi State awarded a contract to the Dangote Group
Dangote Group
The Dangote Group is currently the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest in Africa. It generated revenue in excess of US$1.25 billion 2005. The group is one of the leading diversified business conglomerates in Africa...
to restart the abandoned dam project, a move that was supported by Abdul Ahmed Ningi
Abdul Ahmed Ningi
Abdul Ahmed Ningi is a member of the Nigerian House of Representative who represents the People's Democratic Party in the Ningi/ Warji Constituency of Bauchi State...
, a Bauchi state representative who was House Leader in the National Assembly when the project was cancelled in 2002.
Controversy
Arguments in favor of the dam from supporters in Bauchi State include the benefits of irrigation for agriculture in the area, such as sugar cane crops, while controlled releases would avoid downstream impact. Opponents in downstream Yobe StateYobe State
Yobe State is a state located in Northern Nigeria. A mainly agricultural state, it was created on August 27, 1991. Yobe state was carved out of present-day Borno State. The capital of Yobe state is Damaturu.-Geography:...
and Borno State
Borno State
Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State...
argue that the dam will prevent the seasonal floods that their farmers depend upon for farming, and will cause the water table to drop, with much water being lost to evaporation. Environmentalists are also concerned about the impact on downstream wetlands.
Floodplain farmers and fishermen use water much more efficiently than farmers who rely on irrigation from dams. A study funded by the United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
(UNEP) estimated that the economic value of water in the downstream Hadejia-Jama'are floodplain was US$32.00 per 1,000 m3, while the value of water in the Kano River Project, irrigated by the Tiga Dam
Tiga Dam
The Tiga Dam is in Kano State in the Northeast of Nigeria, constructed in 1971-1974. It is a major reservoir on the Kano River, the main tributary of the Hadejia River. Water from the dam supplies the Kano River Irrigation Project as well as Kano City...
and the Challawa Gorge Dam
Challawa Gorge Dam
The Challawa Gorge Dam is in Kano State in the Northeast of Nigeria, about 90 km southwest of Kano city. It is a major reservoir on the Challawa River, a tributary of the Kano River, which is the main tributary of the Hadejia River.-Construction:...
was US$1.73 per 1,000 m3, or US$0.04 per 1,000 m3 after accounting for operational costs. The study estimated that if implemented, even with a regulated flooding regime to reduce downstream impact, the Kafin Zaki dam project would have negative value of around US$15 million.
In April 2009 Dr. Hassan Bidliya, Administrative Secretary of the Hadejia-Jama'are-Komadugu-Yobe Basin Trust Fund, advised that any decision should be deferred until the Environmental Impact Assessment on the project had been completed.
In September 2009, three farmers’ associations in downstream Borno State
Borno State
Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State...
called for the federal government and Bauchi State government to shelve the project, concerned about the impact on their livelihood.
In August 2009, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan
Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan
Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan is a Nigerian senator who represents the All Nigeria Peoples Party in the Yobe North constituency of Yobe State. He became a senator in 2007.-Background:Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan was born in 1959...
of Yobe North, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, spoke against the proposed dam. He stated that the Tiga and Challawa dams on the Hadejia River
Hadejia River
The Hadejia River is a river in northern Nigeria and is a tributary of the Yobe River .Among the cities and towns that lie on or near its banks are Hadejia and Nguru....
had already reduced downstream water flow drastically, and the Jama'are River was now the main source of water in the Yobe River
Yobe River
The Yobe River is a river in West Africa that flows into Lake Chad through Nigeria and Niger.Its tributaries include the Hadejia River and the Jama'are River...
. He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.