Residents of the Kunnawa community in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State have called on the Federal Government to prioritise the repair of Kunnawa Dam.
The dam, which was repaired in 2018 by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development under the On-Farm Water Harvesting Project by the Department of Climate Change, broke down again after just two seasons of use.
Despite numerous appeals from the host communities—Kunnawa, Waddau, Gudau Dungurawa, Dan Amar, and Dorowar Shehu—the dam has remained unrepaired.
Our correspondent, who visited the dam site on Saturday, learnt that if restored, Kunnawa Dam could provide employment opportunities for over 2,000 people, mostly young people who frequently migrate to urban areas in search of work. This migration is seen as a significant setback for the host communities.
During the two years the Kunnawa Dam was operational, there was a noticeable improvement in dry-season farming, and the dam generated millions of naira from the sale of crops such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, lettuce, rice, maize, and watermelons.
In interviews with farmers, herders, and community leaders, there was unanimous support for the urgent repair of the Kunnawa Dam to help curb the migration from rural areas to cities in search of white-collar jobs, a trend that is increasingly being seen as a growing threat to security.
Malam Yahaya Aliyu, the village head of Kunnawa, told Nigerian NewsDirect that, “Kunnawa Dam was first constructed in 1963 by the people of the host communities using local equipment. It has served as a venue for dry-season farming, fishing, livestock consumption, and weekend recreation, but the area has been dry since the dam broke in 2018.”
He called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to assist in the repair of the dam, describing it as a vital source of economic development, employment opportunities, and a catalyst for fostering peace and unity across the host communities.
Malam Ya’u Sarkin Fulani, the ward head of Waddau, explained that repairing Kunnawa Dam would significantly boost dry-season farming in the area. He highlighted that the region is economically stable for both farmers and herders, who have coexisted peacefully for over 20 years.
In their comments, farmers’ representative Suleiman Umar and Ardo Alhaji Geza, the head of the herdsmen residing at Sam Bottom, expressed hope that the current administration would intervene to improve irrigation programmes and help reduce unemployment among residents, the majority of whom are farmers and herders.