Inside the abandoned Hadeja Valley Irrigation project

Almost four decades ago now, the Hadeja Jama’are valley irrigation project was introduced by the federal governments under the Shehu Shagari administration in, but despite the importance of the project in terms of economic development and security it has remained at a standstill, if not in fact dying. On August 4, 1981, the federal government […]

Almost four decades ago now, the Hadeja Jama’are valley irrigation project was introduced by the federal governments under the Shehu Shagari administration in, but despite the importance of the project in terms of economic development and security it has remained at a standstill, if not in fact dying.
On August 4, 1981, the federal government awarded the contract for the construction of the Hadeja valley irrigation project which was in two segments – Phase I and Phase II – and each phase having many stages.
Both phases I and II of the project were awarded at a total cost of less than N100 million. A local government official who is a farmer said: “I can remember very well that phases I and II were awarded at a total of N79 million in 1981. However, in 2010 President Jonathan promised releasing N10 billion to complete the remaining phase II of the project when he sent his vice, Muhammad Namadi Sambo, in what looked like a campaign for the 2011 elections.”
All through these years there was no clear explanation on what happened to the N79 million which was budgeted for the entire project and at the same time, nothing about the recent N10 billion pledged for the completion of the project by the present administration.
The project could have been the first large-scale irrigation scheme of the lower Hadeja-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority and is located at the northern part of the old Kano state which is now Jigawa State. The site is now linked up with Kafin Hausa and goes round the main Fadama town of Auyo.
“During the Shehu Shagari administration, the federal government constructed some canals, main reservoirs, barrage and division canals. When General IBB became Head of State, he completed eight sectors of the project while President Obasanjo completed five sectors,” Alhaji Ibrahim Alhassan Guru, Chairman of Auyo Local Government Council said.    
Some farmers in the area claimed that since 2011 when the present administration promised N10 billion for the completion of the project, nothing has been done on the site apart from cutting of grasses and minor desalting.
Despite the completion of parts of the project about 30 years ago, maintaining the completed site was another challenge that no one agreed to face, said some farmers of the Auyo Fadama town.
Speaking to Daily Trust, Malam Isma’ila Ma’aji, said there are two main problems facing the Hadeja valley irrigation project which has to do with construction and management, adding that “if you meet with officials they will cover up the truth and even bring the association of farmers who are their boys who will tell you that everything is okay.
“I can tell you categorically that as far as I know, since its construction during the Shehu Shagari administration, they never maintained it even once but they will always say they are doing maintenance work. They will never tell you that there is lack of general maintenance and poor management.
“In terms of maintenance, the Main Canals (MC) have never undergone any form of maintenance, so also the Distribution Canals (DC). Similarly, the Field Canal and the Light Reservoir have never been maintained since their construction but so much has been spent for their supposed maintenance,” Ma’aji has said.
He also said the only relationship between farmers in the area and the Hadeja Jama’are management is for the management of the river basin to come and collect N2,000 from each farmer for supplying water to their farmlands.
The farmer also lamented that there are no access roads at the farmlands, saying, “at harvest, farmers must carry their produce on their heads and walk several kilometers to access roads before reaching markets.”
Inside the Hadeja valley irrigation areas, several machines installed in the 80s, some of which have not even been test run, were seen decaying and wasting away.
Who takes over the river basin?
Though this reporter could not lay his hands on any official statement indicating federal government plan to concession the river basin, there are rumours that the World Bank is warming up to take over the project. What is very visible in the area is an army of quela birds that sometimes blot out the sun.
The World Bank in the eyes of many farmers brings hope, though mixed with some fear but, on the other hand, quela birds kill farmers’ hope as the birds are destructive to farm produce.
As insinuations continue to spread among farmers in the area that the World Bank is trying to takeover and invest in the completion of the project, many express fear that local farmers may be ejected from their farmlands through arbitrary hike in service charges in the area of payment for water supplied to their individual farmlands, among others.
Farmers in the area said in 2012, they paid only N1,000 each for the irrigation water supplied to their farms but that has now increased by 100% depending on the size of the farmland.
One of the farmers in the area, Ibrahim Iro Tagir said: “We are hoping that if the World Bank comes in, things will change; we heard that they wanted to complete the project, but they said they will increase the charges. It is better to get someone who will do it if government couldn’t.”
Musa Musa Adamu is the Bulama Gamsarka (district head). He said though there are many challenges associated with the poor maintenance of facilities at the project site, his village is under the threat of a disaster waiting to happen.
“As I am talking with you, the people of Gamsarka are afraid because at any time we may face flooding. Right now we hardly sleep with our two eyes closed because of lack of dam maintenance which is capable of causing flood. We are calling on the appropriate authority to do something fast,” he said.
He said the entire water channels at the irrigation area are blocked, adding, “if not because farmers are carrying out the maintenance works on their own, things could have been worst. We heard about the World Bank, but if it will increase the tariff, there will be problem. Farmers may not afford to pay.”
Garba Sulaiman Auyo, is the Chairman Hadeja Valley Irrigation Project Farmers Association, he said the project is still on, but the major problem is lack of proper maintenance. He lamented that the main canal is now 23 years old and all the existing 18 sectors relied on it for water supply.
Garba said the aerial spray of quela birds by aircrafts deployed to the area by the federal government is not effective because, “those birds come late in the evening and early in the morning. The helicopter comes during the day after the birds have left.
“On November 5, 2008 one of the birds was captured with a tag that carry the following inscription on it, ‘INFS OZZANO BO_ITALY G_72769.’ Farmers are now spending huge sums of money on buying nets to cover the entire farmlands against these birds.”  
 On its part, the Hadeja Jama’are River Basin Development Authority admitted that the project is still at phase one, saying they are hoping very soon things will change for the better.
The Hadeja Jama’are spokesman, Salisu Baba Hamza, confirmed that the authority generates revenue from the famers adding however that “each year we do not collect up to 50% of what we are supposed to collect from the farmers.”