Kainji: The fishing folk who dwell in darkness

The place is called Fakun. It is a small fishing community, but there is no light in this settlement of migrant fisher men and women. Tall towers conveying electricity out of Kainji dam pass by their village to supply power to some distant towns and cities within the country, and   the dam itself  lies about […]

The place is called Fakun. It is a small fishing community, but there is no light in this settlement of migrant fisher men and women. Tall towers conveying electricity out of Kainji dam pass by their village to supply power to some distant towns and cities within the country, and   the dam itself  lies about a thousand metres away. From a distance one can hear the waters roar as well as the hum of powerful machines within. Inside the dam there is the sound of surging waters. In the village can be heard another different sound: it is  the sound of  small  cheap generators which bring  a ray of life and maybe light to this silent place teeming with fishermen drawn from many parts of Nigeria.
Here are Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko,  Nupe and many other fisher folk. These fisher folk bring a form of energy to the place, owing to the diversity of origins of the people. But  that is all. It is energy of another sort flourishing here. This form of energy makes for peace and creates love among a diverse people, and it neither requires nor issues from a dam. The people learn a lot about the groups which make up Nigeria, and this is a daily process of socialization. The Kainji dam is an energy giving giant which seems to sneer at the people who live just beneath its very nose. The villagers say that at night the lights from the dam illuminate the area,and turn the dam itself  into an island of light. They speak almost fondly of this. But their little village is in darkness. It has always been in darkness, the villagers now  sneer, urging me to return at night to see the contrast  between it and the radiant dam, and to note the  special blanket of darkness which envelops them every day. Darkness is neither  the colour of hope, nor does it promise a new day. The absence of power slows down life, and  completely cripples growth, the men and women  emphasise.

Abdullahi Bio, the Village Head of Fakun says “There is no light in our village.We have never had light here.” Chairman of the Association of fishermen adds “There is no light here. If there was light, we would be able to store the fish for 1 month, but without light we are forced to sell it at any price. Indeed we sell at a loss. For instance, instead of selling at 200 Naira, we sell at 50 Naira. If we don’t do this, the fish will go bad.”
But he shows how the presence of light would turn around the economy of the women in the village “If there’s light, it will give the women more trade and they  will engage in more activities. If there’s a fridge and her husband has brought fish from the river, she can store the fish in the fridge. This means more money for the household.”
He explains that sometimes if a family has a lot of fish, it may have no option but to eat all of it, instead of selling the  entire harvest  at a loss. Other members of the community show that during the last World Cup, “nobody could watch the event here, because of the absence of light. Many of us had go to New Bussa as well as the neighbouring Nasarawa to watch the game. Many of us have now had to buy generators ,as  well as learn how to keep generators at home.” Next they refer to politicians who travelled to Fakun during the 2011 elections, but who never kept their promise of extending light to the community. They add that  the electricity project at Fakun is ongoing, but it has not yet been completed.
The Village Head adds “We are not happy about the absence of light. When we complain, we are told to be patient.” The people complain that very few of them are employed at the dam, and they have very few employment opportunities with the Niger State government.There is no secondary school at Fakun, and there are no government clinics.The only one available was established through community effort, and all sick persons usually have to make the trip to New Bussa for medical attention.

But Fakun, a fishing village, has seen better times and better days too. Abdullahi Bio speaks “I have spent 40 years fishing, but I don’t see much fish today. Since the construction of the Jebba and Kainji dams, the population of fish has dropped.” He explains that with the expansion of the human population, “instead of 10 nets in the river,we now have more. So, there are fewer fish available, and  we receive very little support from the government.”
Felix, a fisherman,  adds that “since the construction of the Jebba dam, the population of fish has dropped. Before the construction of the dam,if you set your net, you will catch a lot of fish.But with the construction of the dam,the fish seem to have moved away following the current of water.” Because of the absence of power, the community has had to set up a number of kilns to dry the fish,and this will help prevent any losses given the circumstances. These are  fishing folk  who have no light in their village, and  whose  livelihoods  are  being threatened.