Tiga Dam
Encyclopedia
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. Several studies have shown that the dam has delivered negative economic value when its effect on downstream communities was taken into account.
The dam was built during the administration of Governor Audu Bako
in an attempt to improve food security through irrigation projects.
On completion of the dam the river flow downstream at Gashua
in Yobe State
fell by about 100 million cubic meters per year due to upstream irrigation and by more than 50 million cubic meters due to evaporation from the reservoir.
A study published in 1999 concluded that farmers in the downstream floodplain had adapted their agriculture, helped by new technology, but the increased level of production might not be sustainable.
The Hadejia-Nguru wetlands
further downstream have considerable economic and ecological importance. They are home to about one million people living by wet-season rice farming, agriculture at other seasons, fishing and cattle grazing by Fulani people. The dam has damaged the cycle, reducing fish catches and harvests of other wetland products.
In August 2009, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan
of Yobe North, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, stated that the Tiga Dam had reduced water flow in the Kano River by about 50%. The senator was speaking in opposition to the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam
on the Jama'are River
, the other main tributary of the Yobe River
. He said the Tiga and Challawa Dams
had caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen. He noted that the Yobe River no longer flows into Lake Chad
.
It is estimated that Lake Chad will dry up completely within 40 years. More than 30 million people derive their livelihood from the Lake Chad Basin through fishing, raising live stock and farming. A study group to examine the problem was established in November 2008, visiting the Tiga dam and other locations.
Kano State
Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west...
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...
, constructed in 1971-1974. It is a major reservoir on the Kano River, the main tributary of 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....
. Water from the dam supplies the Kano River Irrigation Project as well as Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
City. Several studies have shown that the dam has delivered negative economic value when its effect on downstream communities was taken into account.
The dam was built during the administration of Governor Audu Bako
Audu Bako
Police Commissioner Audu Bako was the first Administrator of Kano State, Nigeria during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon after the state was formed from part of Northern Region....
in an attempt to improve food security through irrigation projects.
On completion of the dam the river flow downstream at Gashua
Gashua
Gashua is a community in Yobe State in northeastern Nigeria, on the Yobe River a few miles below the convergence of the Hadejia River and the Jama'are River. Average elevation is about 299 m. The population in 2006 was about 125,000....
in Yobe State
Yobe 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:...
fell by about 100 million cubic meters per year due to upstream irrigation and by more than 50 million cubic meters due to evaporation from the reservoir.
A study published in 1999 concluded that farmers in the downstream floodplain had adapted their agriculture, helped by new technology, but the increased level of production might not be sustainable.
The Hadejia-Nguru wetlands
Hadejia-Nguru wetlands
thumb|right|300px|[[Yobe River]] catchment area showing location of the Hadejia-Nguru wetlandsThe Hadejia-Nguru wetlands in Yobe State in northern Nigeria, which include Nguru Lake, are ecologically and economically important...
further downstream have considerable economic and ecological importance. They are home to about one million people living by wet-season rice farming, agriculture at other seasons, fishing and cattle grazing by Fulani people. The dam has damaged the cycle, reducing fish catches and harvests of other wetland products.
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, stated that the Tiga Dam had reduced water flow in the Kano River by about 50%. The senator was speaking in opposition to the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam
Kafin Zaki Dam
The Kafin Zaki Dam is a controversial project to build a reservoir on the Jama'are River in Bauchi State in the Northeast of Nigeria.-Proposed dam and reservoir:...
on the Jama'are River
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...
, the other main tributary of 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 Tiga and Challawa Dams
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:...
had caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen. He noted that the Yobe River no longer flows into Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
.
It is estimated that Lake Chad will dry up completely within 40 years. More than 30 million people derive their livelihood from the Lake Chad Basin through fishing, raising live stock and farming. A study group to examine the problem was established in November 2008, visiting the Tiga dam and other locations.