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ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS AND DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES CONFRONTING RIVER NIGER AND ITS BASIN

BY

Professor Haruna Kuje Ayuba

Professor of Environmental Science

Department of Geography

Nasarawa State University, PMB 1022 Keffi

Nasarawa State, Nigeria

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +234(0)8024523151

BEING

PAPER PRESENTED AT THE 8TH AFRICAN ORGANIZATION OF SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTIONS WORKING GROUP ON ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING (AFROSAI-WGEA) ANNUAL MEETING, WHICH HELD FROM 12TH -16TH SEPTEMBER, 2016 AT TRANSCOP HILTON HOTEL, ABUJA, NIGERIA

1. PROTOCOL

The Ag. Auditor-General for the Federation (Mrs F N Anyanwu; FCNA, ACT);

Distinguished African Delegates from various Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs)

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen

I thank the Office of the Audior-General for the Federation, Nigeria for inviting me to present this paper entitled: Environmental Risks/Threats confronting River Niger.

2. OUTLINE

Situating River Niger and its Basin

Potentials of the Niger Basin (River Niger as a common pool resource)

Development challenges within the Niger River Basin

Major Environmental Risks

Towards sustainability of the River Niger and its Basin

3. SITUATING THE RIVER NIGER AND ITS BASIN

3.1 Exploration and Discovery

Most (if not all) of us have heard of River Niger because of its popularity. The original name of the river egerou n-igereou, meaning the river of rivers was given by the Tuareg, expressing the exceptional character they attributed to it. Along its course it is known by several names as the Joliba (Malinke: great river) in its upper course; the Mayo Balleo and the Isa Eghirren in its central reach; and the Kwarra, Kworra, or Quorra in its lower stretch (Encyclopdia Britannica -Niger River, 2016).

Documented knowledge of the possible existence of River Niger first came in the 18th century when the Scottish Explorer by name Mongo Park explored the Interior of Africa and the river. The discovery of river Niger is historically credited to Mongo Park since 1796 (I think that Mungo Park might have been shown the river course by some African villagers who did not document their existence) The course of the river was established in Mungo Parks book Travels in the Interior of Africa, (1799). The Niger Republic, Nigeria and Niger State (Nigeria) got their names from the River Niger.

3.2 Source, Length and Tributaries:

Niger River (Figs 1 and 2) flows from theGuinea Highlands located in southeastern Guinea at Latitudes 905 N and 1047 W into the Gulf of Guinea and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean. The Niger River has one of the most unusual routes of any of the major rivers in the world. This is because the river rises not far from the Atlantic Ocean, about 240 km, and instead of flowing to the nearby Atlantic Ocean, it takes a northeasterly course toward the Sahara Desert, before turning southeast to eventually discharge to the Atlantic Ocean inNigeria.This strange geography apparently came about because the Niger River consists of two ancient rivers joined together. The upper Niger, from the source west of Timbuktu to the bend in the current river near Timbuktu, once emptied into a now dry lake to the east northeast of Timbuktu, while the lower Niger started to the south of Timbuktu and flowed south into the Gulf of Guinea. Over time upstream erosion by the lower Niger resulted in stream capture of the upper Niger by the lower Niger.

Figure1. The Niger River (Bakary Kone Wetlands International))

Figure 2. Niger River with tributaries (Ogilvie et al 2010)

River Niger is about 4,180 Km long (2597 Miles) making it the longest River in West Africa, and the third longest in Africa ((after the Nile and Congo Rivers) and fourteenth longest in the world. Its major tributary is the Benue River. Other ones include the Sirba river,Tinkisso River,Milo River,Niandan River,Sankarani River,Bani River, Mekrou River,Sokoto River,Kaduna River,Forcados River, and theNun River. Together with its tributaries, the Niger drains a total area of some 730,000 square miles (1,900,000 square km).

The Niger River is clean and relatively clear of sediments because its headwaters lie in ancient rocks that provide little silt. It floods yearly; beginning in September and peaking in November, then ends in May.

3.3 The Niger River Basin

Areal extent

The Niger River basin (Figure 3, Table 1.) covers 7.5% of the African continent. The total basin area is about 2.2 million km, of which approx. 1.5 million km represents the hydrologically active part of the basin. The northern section of the basin, extending across the Sahara desert into Algeria, is hydrologically inactive.

The Niger Basin covers six agro-climatic zones shared by nine (it will be 10 if Algeria is added) countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria).

Fig. 3 The Niger River with the Niger River Basin in Green (Niger River. (2015, January 12). New World Encyclopedia, . Retrieved 12:10, July 27, 2016)

Table 1. Niger Basin and areas shared by different countries

Country

Area (KM2)

Proportion of basin

within country

Proportion of country

within basin

Benin

44,967

3.5

38.7

Burkina Faso

86,919

6.8

31.5

Cameroon

86,381

6.8

18.4

Cte dIvoire

23,550

1.9

7.3

Guinea

98,095

7.7

39.9

Mali

263,168

20.7

20.9

Niger

87,846

6.9

7.4

Nigeria

562,372

44.2

61.5

Chad

19,516

1.5

1.5

TOTAL Active basin

1,272,814

100

Source: Marquette (2008) in Ogilvie et al 2010

Physical features

Within the Niger basin, climate shows great variability. Mean annual precipitation levels decrease northward from more than 160 inches (4,100 mm) in the delta area to less than 10 inches (250 mm) in Timbuktu. Both the upper and the lower stretches of the river, however, drain areas with more than 50 inches (1,300 mm) of precipitation per year.

Because of climatic variations the annual river flood does not occur at the same time in different parts of the basin. In the upper Niger the high-water discharge occurs in June, and the low-water season is in December. In the middle Niger, a first high-water dischargethe white flood (so called because of the light sediment content of the water)occurs soon after the rainy season between July and October; a second risethe black flood (so called because of the greater sediment content)begins in December with the arrival of floodwaters from upstream. May and June are the low-water months in the middle stretch.

Along its course the Niger traverses virtually all the ecological zones of West Africa. The Fouta Djallon plateau, where the Niger rises, is covered by a type of sedge vegetation. From the Fouta Djallon to well below the Nigers confluence with the Benue, the river flows mainly through savanna grassland country.

The river has thirty six (36) families of freshwater fish with nearly 250 species, 20 of which are found nowhere else on Earth but the Niger. The major fish species are catfish, carp, and Nile perch. Other fauna of the Niger River include hippopotamuses, at least three different species of crocodiles, and a variety of lizards. The West African manatee, which faces extinction, lives in the river. The African Lion is also found in the Niger river basin

Other Niger fauna include hippopotamuses, at least three different types of crocodiles (including the much-feared Nile crocodile), and a variety of lizards. There is a rich collection of birds. Geese are found in the lake region, and herons, egrets, and storks are found both on the river and around the lakes. The striking crown bird is found wherever there is open ground in the grassland zone, and pelicans and flamingos are particularly associated with the upper Benue area. Smaller riverine species include white-headed plovers, crocodile, birds amongst others.

Socio-economic features

The population of the basin is about 100 million people, of which around 80% live in Nigeria. Annual population growth rate is about 3%.. The population is 64% rural. However, this is changing rapidly and by 2025 the majority may be urban. Urbanization is fuelled by a massive rural exodus, as well as a century-old migration from the inland to coastal areas. The population is young (44% are under 15 years of age) and largely illiterate (with 35% overall literacy rates and only 18% for women). Demographers estimate, according to the lowest scenario, that the population of the basin will double by 2050, but, if the fertility rates remain constant, the population could increase fourfold by 2050. This could jeopardize current and future development (Ogilvie et al 2010).

Agriculture represents a large part of the Niger Basin GDP, with crops making up 2535%, livestock 1015%, and fishery 14%. The main livelihood/agricultural systems in the basin include dry- and wet-season cropping, pastoral systems, crop-livestock systems and fishing. The major crops are yams, cassava, rice, groundnuts, millet, sorghum, plantains, cocoa beans, maize, sugarcane and cotton.

The Niger Basin Authority

The Niger Basin Authority (1980), successor of the Niger River Commission (1964), was established to foster, promote and co-ordinate studies and programs relating to the Niger River basin. Today the Authority is required to promote co-operation among the member countrie