In Kebbi state, Zuru is the headquarters of the Zuru Emirate, which encompasses four adjoining local government areas—Wasagu/Danko, Fakai, Sakaba, and Zuru. This axis has a population of 165,547 people who rely on the Zuru main dam to supply clean drinking water and aid their farming.
The Zuru dam project was nominated in the 2020 budget for ₦100 million under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, but the residents did not know about the project until we held a sensitization meeting with them in October 2020. During the engagement, we provided them with the project details and how to ensure its implementation.
We also used our social media pages to draw attention to this issue and personally engaged with stakeholders to ensure the project’s progress. The dam project was critical as it is the primary water source for the local water board, supplying water to the entire community. Farmers rely on the dam for irrigation during the dry season, while the local community uses it for fishing.
In April 2021, we revisited the site to monitor its progress and discovered the project had been executed properly.
Mallam Jamilu, a resident, said after the project was completed, the water board was rehabilitated, and water was readily available to the entire community. The project addressed a critical need for the community, improved access to clean water, and enhanced agricultural and fishing opportunities.
We visited again in 2024 to check the status of the dam and discovered residents are still benefiting from it.
“Alhamdulilah, for this project because it has really helped our farming, and getting water for our house use is now easy because the dam is answering our water needs. Our women no longer struggle to get water, and farmers are happy,” Mallam Nasir, a rice farmer in the community, told our team.
Tanko Sani, a farmer, expressed gratitude for how the project transformed farming in the community and increased their yield.
“Before the dam was done, getting water to farm was a problem. When they finally dredged the dam and opened more channels, water got to all the farms. Getting water to farms is now very easy, and that is no longer a problem for us. The dam has increased our harvests than the previous years when it was not done.” he said.
The residents are asking the government to construct additional channels to extend the reach of the dam’s water supply and empower more farmers. They also requested farming tools and empowerment programs to improve agricultural outputs.
We call on the Kebbi state government and the Ministry of Agriculture to address the ongoing needs of farmers and residents in Zuru.
Story by Ayomide Ladipo and Emmanuel Yaro
