Kano State Government

Cleanliness and healthy environment are crucial to human welfare and development. It is in recognition to this fact that during his inauguration as the Governor of Kano State on the 29th of May 2003, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau stated that:

As regards the environment, the story is not different. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said, “Cleanliness is a component of one’s faith”. But our environment has been left in total degradation. Heaps of refuse have been left on major roads in the metropolis and the rural areas. Such conditions gives rise to epidemics in a heavily populated state like Kano.
The Government will not tolerate such a scenario. We shall introduce a new programme that would attach importance to preventive techniques. We shall fight filth with all our might. We shall encourage self-help organizations to assist Government in this regard by assisting them with working materials. At the top of it all, this Government will create a Waste Management Board to squarely address this predicament.

This publication is the second in the series of documentation of the seven months of activities of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration. It will focus on environment, a key sector of human development, which is the cardinal objective of the administration.

BACKGROUND

Kano State lies between latitude 130N in the North and 110N in the South and longitude 80E in the West and 100E in the East. The state capital is located on latitude 12 latitude 12.000N and longitude 8.300E. It is within the semi-arid Sudan savannah zone of West Africa about 840 kilometers from the edge of the Sahara desert. Kano has a mean height of about 472.45m above sea level. Kano City and its metropolis have expanded over the years to become the third largest conurbation in Nigeria with a population of 1,412,255 when the last population census was conducted in 1991 .

The area is presently made up of six local government areas namely: Municipal, Gwale, Dala, Tarauni, Nassarawa and Fagge. The two highest landmarks of Kano city the historically famous regolith hills Dala and Goron Dutse, measuring 453.67m and 517.9m above sea level respectively are. Kano has two seasonal periods categorized on the basis of moisture as dry and rainy seasons. The temperature of Kano usually ranges between a maximum of 330C and a minimum of 15.850C although sometimes during the harmattan it falls down to as low as 100C. The average rainfall is between 63.3mm + 48.2mm in May and 133.4 + 59 in August the wettest month . The soil in most of Kano State is light or moderately leached, yellowish brown and sandy just like most other Savannah parts of Northern Nigeria. The soil fertility supported agriculture thus contributing to the high population density especially in the Kano Closed Settled Zone. This has contributed to the high population density of the area.

The natural vegetation as noted above is semi-arid Sudan Savannah, which is sandwiched by the Sahel Savannah in the north and the Guinea Savannah in the south. The savannah has been described as the zone that provides opportunity for optimal human attainment. This is because it is rich in faunal and floral resources, and as such suitable for both cereal agriculture and livestock rearing. The plain structure of the environment makes it relatively easy for movement of natural resources and manufactured goods .

The vegetation of Kano State has been modified like other places because of human activity, which is one of the major causes of desertification, the greatest environmental hazard confronting Kano and other northern states. Desertification is a major source of poverty in the north. Its effect will be devastating in the future if urgent measures are not taken. Kano State used to have one of the best aforestation programs. And there is the potential for improvement based on the botanical resources of the state. Kano has many of these resources that have been used in other places for fighting desertification as well as for economic purposes. There is the possibility of incorporating indigenous knowledge especially with the intention of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration to involve community-based groups; this has been tried in some countries that have similar environmental characteristics with Nigeria. For example some of the tree species noted below are also available in Kano State therefore the same strategy could be adopted:

“Agroforestry” or, more properly, agro-silvo-pastoralism, is a new term for the old practice of growing woody plants with agricultural crops and/or livestock on the same land. Unlike people in many areas of Africa, rural Sahelians have long practiced agroforestry. Agricultural crops such as millet, sorghum, maize, cowpeas, and groundnuts are often grown by Sahelian farmers under a park of Acacia albida (apple-ring or gao), precisely because the farmers realize that they will reap better harvests when they plant their crops in close proximity to A. albida stands. Indeed, the answer to the Hausa riddle, where does the growing season go during the dry season, and the dry season during the growing?—Into the Acacia albida—reflects the intimate relationship between this tree and the agricultural systems of the region. Other species, such as Acacia Senegal are similarly valued .

Northern Sahelian states could learn from the successful Ferlo Region agroforestry scheme of northern Senegal under which farmers grow Acacia Senegal and other useful trees and they also grow millet, groundnut and cowpeas during the rainy season. The project was very cost effective and flexible. It was “fully acceptable to the people” and it made them less dependent on outside assistance. As a proof of the project’s popular acceptance, more than 20 villages with over 1,000 families have voluntarily joined the program within 2 years of its initiation, and all participants say they are much better than before” . Farmers associations could be effective if similar projects are initiated and that will be worthwhile for the poverty alleviation programs.

Previous Kano State governments have made several efforts of maintaining environmental cleanliness with several equipments. The present administration under the leadership of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau has stated its intention to improve on the past efforts.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS OF MALLAM IBRAHIM SHEKARAU’S ADMINISTRATION

The environmental project is an important component that has direct relevance to human development. When executed holistically the environmental program will ensure a health society with healthy individuals that could contribute to the socio-economic development of the state. The administration intends to achieve this through:

Mobilization of the following bodies namely; media houses, community based-organizations, Ulama and traditional leaders, whose target would be to involve all communities to create awareness in the general public and need for their participation in environmental programs.
Executing environmental programs whose target shall be; general improvement of public health conditions, improving environmental sanitation by addressing the issues of generation, collection and disposal of refuse at designated points/centers and compliance with law regarding environmental pollution and industrial waste.
Increasing the state vegetation cover whose target shall be; reclaiming the lost forest estate of the state and planting them up to increase their venereal value, reducing the energy crisis of the state and planting trees of wider industrial application for multiplier economic effect for the sustainability of the project.

The administration of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau demonstrated its determination towards achieving the objectives of its environmental program like in all other sectors. To make itself ready to the challenge the ministry of environment began with programs aimed at putting its house in proper shape. It carried out personnel motivating actions by promoting 83 senior staff and 232 junior staff. His Excellency the Governor magnanimously authorized 50% increase of the funds for smooth administrative operations, otherwise known as overhead due to each ministry. As result of this motivation path breaking activities were carried out and the following achievements were recorded:

Refuse Management and Sanitation Board

As part of its intention of proper management of the environment Kano State government under the leadership of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau established the Refuse Management and Sanitation Board, to be solely responsible for refuse waste management. The board has already started carrying out, extensive and intensive refuse’ collection in the metropolitan area. The state government purchased 20 refuse collection trains at the cost of N141million (See Figure 1). Similarly over N9million was used for the repair and general over hauling of 16 number sanitation vehicles. Two thousand casual workers have also been employed to engage in an unprecedented major sanitation project to keep Kano clean (see figure 2). Uniforms worth over N5million have also been provided for these causal workers. Similarly 20 motorcycles have been put in place for sanitary supervisors for prompt and efficient monitoring services.

Planning and Monitoring

This is the department of the ministry of environment that draws up plans for proper environmental policies. It is also responsible for the design and supervision of projects. Within the period under review the department executed the following projects:

Flood Prevention

As part of its proactive measures Kano State government under the leadership of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau ordered the clearing of drainages in order to arrest the possibility of flooding of a similar magnitude that occurred during the last rainy season in 2003. The following activities were carried out at the total cost of over N11million:

Ecological and Forestry Division

This department of the ministry is responsible for combating desert encroachment, reclamation of forest reserves, beautification of streets and round abouts, and raising of seedlings for public usage. The division carried out the following activities:

Inculcating the tree planting culture in the minds of the participating farmers in particular and the general public. This is evident by the geometric rise in private commercial nurseries, wood lots, and orchards all over the state. It is also evident that the number of indigenous and economic trees being left on the farmlands has increased significantly.
Reconnection of water supply to Divisional Forest office in Kano
Bush clearing to rid streets of overgrowth in Kano metropolis
Replacement of dead roadside trees and the protection of live ones at the state road
Procurement of basic materials

This project is part of the United Nations initiative under its Global Sustainable Cities Program being carried out by Center for Human Settlement Program. It is a collaborative project with the Kano State Government facilitating the participation of communities and other key actors in the development and implementation of strategies and actions, which are expected to lead to the sustainable development and growth of Kano metropolis. Ibadan and Enugu are the other Nigerian cities that are participating in this UN program.
The main aim of the sustainable is to provide the community with improved environmental planning and management capacity to ensure that the development of Kano Metropolitan area meets the needs of the present inhabitants without compromising the prospect of the future generations. The following activities were carried out:

Training was conducted for the sustainable unit staff and selected members of the mapping group. The objective of the training was to put in use the Geographical Information System (GIS) equipment into use. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the State Government jointly funded it.
Organizing, conducting and reporting of city consultation in which all the stakeholders operating in the Kano Metropolitan Areas participated, it was jointly funded at the cost of over N3million.

The ministry and its agencies are engaged in the planning of the following projects:

Effecting the ban of raw sewage discharge into Jakara River
Rehabilitation of sewage treatment plant
Rehabilitation of seedling multiplication centers involving 30 nurseries
Intensive alternative energy campaign
Submission of the declaration of consultations on sustainable Kano project to the Federal Government. And the establishment of operation working group as agreed upon during the consultation.

The KNAP leadership studied the program before arriving at suggestions of improvement. It observed that the vegetation cover attained previously might not be the same because there was no reforestation for a year before the coming of this administration. Climatic indicators have necessitated a more urgent and active reforestation program. As result of these observations the management restructured the project into 6 units and devised a twelve point project program aimed at:

Increasing the state vegetation cover
Reclaiming our lost forest estate and planting them up to increase their venereal value
Reducing energy crisis of the state
Planting of trees with wider industrial application for multiplier economic effect for the sustainability of the project

The gum Arabic project under this program is sustainable and hence providing continuous economic benefits after seven years maturation period
Provision of employment for rural populace
Provision of industrial raw materials especially gum Arabic, Cashew products and Shea butter, which are commodities that have international appeal and export potentials
Provision of wood fuel for several communities after the years of maturation

Berry, L. 1997 Agroforestry in the West Sahel Resource Management for Arid and Semi Arid Regions Washington
Connah, G. 1987: African Civilizations: Pre-colonial cities and states in tropical Africa: an archaeological perspective Cambridge
Danyaro, M. 1997 Kano State: 30 Years of Statehood 30th Anniversary Publication, Ministry of Information Kano State

Raintree, J., Thomson, J. and Von Maydell, H. (1986) Agroforestry in the West African Sahel Washington.

Ministry of Environment

Refuse Management and Sanitation Board

Sustainable Kano Project

Kano Afforestation Program

See Danyaro 1997: 1-4 Kano
Iro 1982
Connah, G. 1987 African Civilizations: precolonial cities and states in tropical Africa: an archaeological perspective Cambridge pp. 97-99
Berry 1986: v
Raintree et al 1986: 39-40