Southern Kaduna’s untapped tourism potentials

Nigeria is richly blessed with potential revenue earners other than crude oil. In the case of southern Kaduna, the tourist attractions are as many as they are diverse – from the natural Matsirga Waterfalls and its sister Abodari-Awatsung Waterfall in Madakiya, to the globally acclaimed Nok Cultural Safe at Kuwi in Jema’s Local Government Area.Apart […]

Nigeria is richly blessed with potential revenue earners other than crude oil. In the case of southern Kaduna, the tourist attractions are as many as they are diverse – from the natural Matsirga Waterfalls and its sister Abodari-Awatsung Waterfall in Madakiya, to the globally acclaimed Nok Cultural Safe at Kuwi in Jema’s Local Government Area.
Apart from the waterfalls and hills, some parts of southern Kaduna are blessed with a mild climate like Plateau State with which they share more than just border. Many mountains, which can attract mountain climbers from around the world, have not been given attention.
Matsirga Waterfalls, which takes its source from springs on the Kagoro hills cascading from four different natural funnels off the sheer rock cliff from about 25 metres to form a large pool at the bottom, is situated close to Kafanchan, about 227 kilometers from the capital of Kaduna State , Kaduna. The water at Matsirga drops 30 meters into a gorge supported by beautiful rocks wonderfully arranged by nature.
The river formed by Matsirga Waterfalls, Weekend Magazine learnt, increases with the rainy season overflowing its banks. A natural rock shelter at the river bank forms a cover and resting place for picnicking. Like   half of an umbrella, it provides shade for tourists amidst the wondrous continuous waterfall.
Apart from a heritage resort known as Madakiya Heritage Resort, being developed by a private investor within the fall area to serve the relaxation needs of tourists and visitors, little has been done in the area which is also close to the Kagoro Hills and Nok Museum.
Nok village, located in Jaba Local Government Area, is frequented by local and foreign visitors due to its universal fame. It is true that antiquities from Nok adorn many museums in many parts of the world including Europe and America.
Interestingly, most of the potentials remain untapped even though they have the capacity to generate revenue for Kaduna State in particular and Nigeria in general. Many experts say if tapped, the tourist sites can also address the pains of the myriad unemployed youths in the areas since tourism requires the services of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
According to these experts, with its unique history and numerous annual cultural festivals, southern Kaduna could be the ideal destination for lovers of eco-tourism, wildlife, cultural and heritage sites, religious rites, amusement, entertainment and leisure, adventure, outdoor and indoor sports tourism, meetings, among others.
“There is no doubt that when you talk about notable tourist attractions in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa at large, Southern Kaduna deserves more than a mention. I am saying this because I’ve gone round some of the sites. In order to exploit the benefit of tourism in Southern Kaduna, there is need for adequate inventory of the available tourism potentials/resources based on priorities. This will help in creating a niche market for tourism,” a tourism manager with the Abuja Film Village, Habila Kayit, told Weekend Magazine.
Southern Kaduna is said to be highly heterogeneous in ethnic diversity and religion. The area has about 60 ethnic communities, 30 chiefdoms six of which their chiefs are first class title holders. The ethnic groups include Gbagyi, Atyap, Bajju, Attakar, Kagoro, Asholio, Kaninkon, Fantswam, Kagoma, Jaba, Adara, Koro, Gwandara, Atuku, Ninzom, Kurama, Ikulu, Kamantan, Chawai, Ribang, Binawa, Rishiwa, Ruruma, Kamuku, Gure, Kahugu, Dingi, Piti, Amawa, Numana, Buro Nindyem, Hausa/Fulani among others.
“These various ethnic groups co-exist with each other in a peaceful manner over time and farming is the major occupation of most of the rural population. Despite the notable tourism attractions in the area, the resources seem not to add any value to the area because they are crude, untapped and undeveloped,” said a Historian, Kazah Shehu.
“It is sad to note that the state and the local governments where such potentials are deposited are either ignorant of the benefits of developing those potentials or rather not willing to invest in them. It is worthy of note Malaysia, Kenya, Dubai, South Africa, Israel, Saudi Arabia among others solidly depend on tourism as their major source of revenue and, believe me they have created a niche market for their touristic products,” Kayit added.
Cross River, Lagos, Akwa Ibom and other rich oil states have gone ahead to invest in the development of their tourism potentials despite the availability of crude oil and other mineral resources as well as the presence of some multinational organizations operating in the region. Even the Federal Capital Abuja is diversifying its revenue base to include historical and tourists sites. However, nothing of such has been tested in southern Kaduna were a lot of youths move round the streets without jobs, experts said.
Some of the villagers where the tourist sites are located viewed them as places for hunting and fishing. “If it’s not raining season, we move on the hills for hunting. We don’t know any other benefits one can get from them, because we can’t farm on the hills but we can hunt for animals,” Musa Ishaya, a local who lives around Kagoro hill, said.
Moving round Bodari in Madakiya, Dogara Yunana said they only swim and fish at the Awatsung waterfall if it’s dry season. He said the same is applicable to the Matsirga waterfall where students normally go for picnic. “In the raining season, everybody’s attention will be on farming but once it’s October, fishing continues,” Yunana said.
On how to develop the Southern Kaduna Tourism potentials, Kayit said the sector does not require corresponding amount of resources to provide jobs or businesses to host communities. “Services such as good roads, gasoline filling stations, shopping malls, standard hotels, tour operators and travel agency firms, car hire operators, standard restaurants, cottage industries, spas, tourist information offices, conference placements and handling agencies, sporting facilities, recreational centers, independent entertainment outlets such as cinema, theatres, standard recording and production studios among other intermediary services can make  Southern Kaduna the envy of many and the problem of unemployment will drastically be reduced,” Kayit said.
According to him, the tourism industry represents strong opportunities for promoting local economic development where petty traders, market women, food vendors and other stake holders such as barbers, hair dressers, cobblers, photographers, etc will smile to the bank owing to the multiplier effect generated through the tourism supply chain.
In his project titled “Application of the Strategic Planning Model for Tourism
Development in Southern Kaduna Region,” Bako Parah Emmanuel says “Tourism has emerged as one of the most remarkable economic and social drivers of the 20th century. Essentially, tourism can have a profound impact on the society, economy and environment of nations or regions.”
He however lamented developmental status of tourism in Southern Kaduna saying that “study revealed that although the region is blessed with unique natural settings and rich cultural heritage, it is unable to cash upon these resources due to the absence of various facilities. Most of tourists’ expectations were not met, because the tourism sites are in their natural state.”
Emannuel suggested that the region must develop its infrastructural facilities and promote public awareness of the region as a tourism destination in a sustainable manner. It should explore newer avenues in relation with natural and cultural potentials which stand out as the region’s strength.
Attempts to speak with the Kaduna State Ministry of Culture and Tourism which oversees tourist sites and other attractions did not yield any result.