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Al-Qaryah Agro Allied Ltd has expressed interest in developing the Challawa Gorge Dam in Kano State into a major agro-industrial hub under a $1.295 billion public-private partnership (PPP) deal, a move that is expected to create over 10,000 jobs and boost food production in the state.
The development followed a formal expression of interest (EOI) issued by the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA), granting the company the opportunity to develop, operate and manage approved agricultural assets around the dam under the PPP concession framework. The Authority, however, will retain ownership and regulatory control of the dam and its water resources.
The management team of the company, led by its Managing Director, Abubakar M. Nagwamatse, presented the proposal at the HJRBDA headquarters in Kano to the Managing Director, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi and members of his technical team.
Speaking during the presentation, Nagwamatse said the project will introduce modern agricultural technologies already used in some parts of Asia to maximize the economic potential of the dam. He said the plan would combine agricultural production on aquatic surfaces with aquaculture and irrigated agriculture.
According to him, the initiative would create at least 10,000 jobs, increase food supply and help reduce food prices, while creating opportunities for agricultural exports. He complained that the dam is currently not being used to its full potential, as much of the surrounding agricultural activity remains at subsistence levels and small-scale.
He said the proposed project would integrate deep-sea cage aquaculture, aquaponics, hydroponics, rice fish farming, duck farming, aquatic plant cultivation and floodplain irrigation, along with land-based facilities. These would include a feed mill with an annual production capacity of 150,000 tonnes and a hatchery capable of producing 50 million fish fry.
The proposal has also received support from key government stakeholders, with HJRBDA Chief Executive Officer Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, describing it as an important step towards unlocking the socio-economic potential of Northern Nigeria’s water infrastructure.
Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, also described the developments around the Challawa Gorge Dam as strategic investments that can improve energy supply, agricultural productivity and job creation.
The project comes in the context of Federal Government intervention into Kano’s water infrastructure.
The government has awarded a $95 billion contract for the expansion and rehabilitation of the Challawa Goje, Tiga and Kafinciri dams under a special intervention program managed by the Ecological Field Office. Abdulaziz said work on the Challawa Goje Dam has reached around 40% completion, adding that the projects will provide more than 5,000 hectares of irrigable land, with each hectare expected to support around 20 farmers.
Meanwhile, Al-Qaryah said it is progressing the formal PPP process, with regulatory approvals underway. The company is preparing its Outline Business Case (OBC) to submit to the Infrastructure Concessions Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for PPP certification, while the process to obtain a water use license from the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC) is also underway.
The company said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) certification is being finalized, after which the required public notice will be published in two national newspapers.
