Exploring the prospects for sustainable youth engagement in Kano State, By Eng. Ali Goni

One of the biggest problems confronting several major cities in the country today is the severity of youth redundancy and the resulting impact on the social setup. The situation is far more serious in cities where hitherto functioning factories which were engaging many capable youths into remunerative employment have largely now become comatose. Even if these factories are now restored to full production, they cannot entirely engage the teeming youths in the cities. Government employment opportunities may indeed have reached pliable limits. Meanwhile, schools have continued to produce more graduates with no capacity to engage in self-employment.

A close study of Kano town which absorbs a large population not only from rural areas of the state but from many neighbouring states requires more than mundane management of the situation. Some form of Marshall Plan is needed. This situation is reflected in the huge crowd that turned out in almost all events in Kano.

The state is blessed with over 12 largely underutilized and reasonably large water dams. The dams include Tiga developed in 1984 with 1.5 billion cubic meters, Challawa developed in 1978 with a capacity of 1.2 billion cubic meters and Goronyo developed in 1991 with a capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters. These are massive water reservoirs with huge content for all-season use! They are potential economic bubbles that must be fully exploited. The other earth dams include Watari, Bagauda, Jakara, Warwade, Tudunwada, Danladi and Dangora.

The efforts of the past planners and visionary leaders of the state in the development of these dams should not go in vain. The structures are on the ground and proper investments can lead to a major economic boost for the state. Kadawa irrigation scheme in Kano, for example, is alive and provides excellent livelihood to the citizens of the villages in the vicinity. This should be replicated in all areas since the dams are located in almost all parts of the state. Development of similar irrigation channels made in Kadawa can provide for year-round cultivation of lands thus increasing yields to farmers and providing all year engagement. Kadawa is currently a major hub of tomatoes and several other vegetables.

The dams can support economic growth in 4 sectors: fish farming, crop production, vegetables and fruits farming. Fish species that can be farmed in these dams include tilapia, catfish, and carp. Food crops that thrive include rice, maize, sorghum, and vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and peppers are all viable farm products. Fruits can be farmed in orchards near the dams. The ‘Yan lemo’ market in Naibawa Kano, for example, receiving fruits from other states can indeed become the new outlet for selling the same fruits to the rest of the country! One of the significant advantages of fish farming in the dams is employment generation. Fish farming creates job opportunities for locals, especially young people who are unemployed.  One of the key advantages of fish farming in the dams is the high yield. The unique ecosystem of the dams provides the ideal conditions for fish farming, resulting in high yields. The dams are rich in nutrients, and the water temperature and pH levels are conducive to the growth of fish. The process of fish farming requires a lot of labour, from preparing the ponds to harvesting the fish.

Local communities can benefit from employment opportunities in various stages of the fish farming process. The country relies heavily on fish imports to meet the high demand for fish, and the cost of importation is high. The growth of fish farming will increase local production and reduce the country’s dependence on imports. This will have a positive impact on the economy; the state can within a short period hurl huge quantities of dried smoked fish to the rest of the country bringing tremendous wealth to its citizens.

The dams can provide support for the growth of food crops such as rice, millet and maize. These crops thrive in the dam’s unique ecosystem and can be grown all year round. The availability of water for irrigation is a significant advantage that the dams offer, and the government is encouraging investment in this area to boost local production. The availability of water for irrigation all year round in the dams provides an opportunity for farmers to increase their production and meet local and indeed national demands. The dams provide a reliable source of water for irrigation, which is essential for the growth of food crops.

The government has provided support in the form of training and incentives to encourage investment in food crop production thus creating job opportunities for locals, which can help to reduce poverty and unemployment in the state. The local community can benefit from employment opportunities in various stages of the food crop production process, from preparing the land to harvesting the crops. The growth of food crops is a profitable business, and investors stand to make significant returns.

Dawanau Grains Market in the city can be replicated in the vicinity of the new settlements thus further boosting markets in the state and indeed allowing for ease of delivery of food items to the market. Banks will rush to these locations by establishing their branches thus making cash transactions, if required, with ease and safety.

Fruits can be farmed in orchards in the vicinity of the dams. The state has a huge land mass and great production of fruits such as mangoes, guava, and lemon will thrive providing good income to the citizens. Fruit packaging plants can be established allowing exports of canned food leading to a good return on investment for investors. The West African countries traditionally known to trade with Kano will remain some of the major targets of businesses.

Comprehensive plans can be put in place where financial institutions will be invited by the new government to provide support funds through cooperative societies. The framework for this can be put in place. For example, Real Estate developers can be engaged to provide low-cost houses near the dam locations leading to new mini settlements complete with support services– markets, schools, hospitals, etc. Construction boom will result in the engagement of many tradesmen – carpenters, masons, electricians, labourers, etc. These provide an added boost to income to the citizens providing long-term engagements.

Youths therefore can settle in these areas with their families owning their homes and creating wealth. Loans taken can easily be repaid with huge incomes from the various activities around the dams. Land issues can be settled by the state government through adequate compensation to owners for the development of the expected cluster settlements. A huge population of youths in the city will dwindle with many opting to resettle in areas with guaranteed wealth creation. The government will benefit from increased IGR thus providing better social amenities and infrastructure. Imagine, for instance, the development of some 10,000 cluster houses in each of the vicinity of the 12 dams throughout say, 3 years in collaboration with real estate developers thus providing some 600,000 houses – to be occupied by youths with their families in comfortable conditions. New cities with great economic goals will evolve in the state. This will greatly mop up the large population of the State Capital.

It is viewed that modest factories for processing farm products can emerge thus providing a further boost in income. Investors in Kano have developed many shops, event centres, hotel accommodations, etc, in the township and future investment funds should be channelled to small-scale cottage industries. The Kano Chamber of Commerce can provide leadership in this regard, reaching out to many small-scale factory producers around the world. Kano must restore its status as a major industrial hub of Nigeria. The opportunities are huge and the need for urgent action is required. It is further viewed that support from the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Authority, with Headquarters in Kano, will lead to successful development of the dams.

Kano Foundation, a hitherto major think-tank of Kano State can be revived and competent and experienced citizens are appointed to serve. A good framework to tackle this matter in a profound, practicable and sustainable approach can be determined urgently too. The state is blessed with many excellent and well-educated citizens and their knowledge and experience will help in this endeavour.

The state now is said to have a total of 17 universities going by the recent approvals of the Federal Government, providing perhaps one of the highest numbers in the country. It is therefore desirable that courses that will provide for self-employment are pursued so that graduates have more guaranteed engagement on completion of studies. The lack of relevant training in our institutions has been the albatross of the nation making many youths now largely redundant. The pursuit of engagement objectives will have far-reaching economic goals.

 –Engineer Ali Goni, FNSE, is a Civil Engineering Consultant based in Abuja and can be reached at alibahgoni@gmail.com