VZCZCXRO6422
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHUJA #2330/01 3061141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021141Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1367
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 8209
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0186
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002330 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR TBIO SENV PGOV SOCI NI
 
SUBJECT: WATER- A CHERISHED COMMODITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  The Hadelia Jama'are River Basin Development 
Authority (HJRBDA) covers over 45,000 square kilometers with the 
potential to irrigate 212,000 hectares in Kano, Bauch and Jigawa 
states.  Agriculture is a big driver of Nigerian economic 
performance representing nearly 41% of GDP and 88% of non-oil 
government revenues, and employing nearly 70% of the labor force. 
Funding, re-organization and possible privatization threaten 
HJRBDA's existence and may hinder increased agricultural production. 
 Competing factors, such as feuding Nigerian states and neighboring 
country demands for available water require that Nigeria implement a 
comprehensive integrated water resources management plan. End 
Summary. 
. 
Hadelia Jama'are River Basin Development Authority 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
. 
¶2. (SBU) In early October, ESTH Officer met with Yahaya Kazaure, 
Deputy Director for Operations and Maintenance of the HJRBDA in 
Kano. The HJRBDA is one of ten river basin development authorities 
created by the Government of Nigeria (GON) in 1976.  It occupies an 
area of 45,000 square kilometers with the ability to irrigate 
212,000 hectares in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi states. The Hadejia and 
Jama'are Rivers have regional signifigance because they join with 
Lake Chad, which borders Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. 
 
¶3. (SBU) At its inception, the HJRBDA began developing surface and 
underground water resources for domestic and agricultural purposes, 
constructing and rehabilitating access roads, improving seeds, 
livestock and fisheries, providing loans at subsidized rates, 
mobilizing farmers into self-help and cooperative groups, and 
providing training and manpower development. 
. 
Kano River Success 
------------------ 
. 
¶5. (SBU) One of their most successful programs is the Kano River 
Irrigation Project (KRIP), considered one of the largest in West 
Africa.  The KRIP is an entirely gravity fed water distribution 
network that branches off into canals, tributaries and channels 
finally reaching farmers at lower elevations for irrigation where 
they are able to produce rice, maize, sorghum, millet wheat, tomato, 
onions and cowpeas during the wet and dry seasons. The project is 
fed by the Challawa Gorge Dam (930 million cubic meters) and the 
Tiga Dam (1.9 billion cubic meters) also HJRBDA projects.  Only 
15,000 ha of the original 22,000 ha project is complete with the 
remaining 7,000 ha under construction.  The project provides 
year-round employment for over 35,000 farmers and their families. 
Records indicate farmers have produced over 150,000 metric tons of 
food and cash crops, 100,000 metric tons of byproducts used for 
livestock feed and other raw materials that helped create over 200 
cottage industries.  Phase 2 encompassing 40,000 ha has yet to 
begin. 
. 
Bauchi 
------ 
. 
¶6. (SBU) In 1982 the HJRBDA started development in Bauchi of the 
Kafin Zaki Dam (KZD) with a capacity of 2.7 billion cubic meters 
surpassing KRIP.  This was to be followed by the Jama'are Irrigation 
Project to irrigate 120,000 ha.  Within the area is the 
Komadugu-Yobe River Basin that is a network of rivers and wetlands 
in Bauchi, Jigawa and Yobe states. In 1987 the HJRBDA was 
re-organized and its functions changed to undertake a comprehensive 
development with an emphasis on erosion and flood control, watershed 
management and reforestation.  The KZD was initially halted due to 
lack of funding and resumed in 1992.  Demands for water still were 
increasing, but the agreements to the downstream communities were 
not finalized.  Management became fragmented along with ill-defined 
policies that resulted in conflicts between government agencies. 
Tension escalated leading to opposition by the downstream states of 
Yobe and Borno to the construction and the project was finally 
stopped in 1993/4. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Action has been taken to address some of these issues.  The 
Nigerian National Council on Water Resources established a 
coordinating committee and the Lake Chad Basin Commission is 
implementing the Komadugu-Yobe Integrated Management Project, a 
Global Environment Fund (GEF) supported program for integrated 
management of Lake Chad and the associated river systems. 
. 
Inherent Problems 
----------------- 
. 
¶8. (SBU) Conservationists, farmers, fisheries and pastoralists are 
competing for a limited supply of water.  Some have blocked 
 
ABUJA 00002330  002 OF 002 
 
 
essential water courses causing flooding and depriving downstream 
areas.  Also contributing are inadequate funding, late release of 
funds, inadequate enforcement of by-laws, aging irrigation 
structures that need rehabilitation, changing government policies, 
the silting of canals and the menacing typha grass.  The typha grass 
clogs channels, drains, rivers, and wetlands, hinders fishing, and 
the functioning of irrigation systems.  It also provides favorable 
conditions for the spread of water-borne diseases such as malaria. 
It does have some value, such as purification, but the nitrates in 
the water help in multiplying the plants growth. 
. 
The Future of the HJRBDA and the Region 
--------------------------------------- 
. 
¶9. (SBU) HJRBDA officials believe the integrated rural development 
schemes begun before the restructuring should be reintroduced.  When 
crop production declined they found that food production had the 
greatest impact and helped in poverty alleviation.  It assisted 
farmers with badly needed irrigation water in the dry season and 
supplementary irrigation water during the rainy season.  The program 
made notable achievements in crop rotation, livestock management, 
and forestry and fishery development. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The HJRBDA recommends the GON set up an appropriate legal, 
political and institutional framework for sustainable irrigation 
management that would enable farmers and stakeholders to participate 
in formulating government policy.  The GON should also provide price 
incentives and low interest rates, with less stringent collateral 
requirements.  Whether the HJRBDA will proceed, is questionable 
since it has been selected for privatization by the Bureau of Public 
Enterprises. 
. 
Comment 
------- 
. 
¶11. (SBU) The majority of the population in Northern Nigeria lives 
in the rural areas and their main source of livelihood is 
agriculture - mainly rain fed.  In Nigeria agriculture contributes 
as much as 41% of gross domestic product, 88 percent of the non-oil 
foreign exchange and employing nearly 70% of the active labor force. 
This shows a strong correlation between rainfall, available water 
and economic growth rates. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Rainfall is reportedly declining which has resulted in 
reductions in the main watercourses. The drop in water availability 
results in competition not just with the surrounding states but on a 
regional basis. Competing factors, such as feuding Nigerian states 
and neighboring country demands for available water require that 
Nigeria implement a comprehensive integrated water resources 
management plan.  It is important that the plan include agreement, 
coordination and implementation with Chad, Cameroon and Niger to be 
successful.  End Comment. 
 
PIASCIK