"Goronyo Dam: RIMA MD Meets Managers to Address Water Supply Concerns"

By Umar Faruk, Birnin Kebbi

The Managing Director of Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, Alh Abubakar Malam Shettiman Gwandu, has engaged managers of Middle River Valley Irrigation Project (Goronyo Dam) on efficient service delivery to farmers and other stakeholders at the downstream of the Rima Basin. This move is aimed at promoting prudent water management for agricultural production and domestic utilization.

The engagement followed concerns raised by some rice farmers on the state of water supply from Goronyo Dam to their irrigation sites in some parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States. The Project Manager, Middle River Valley Irrigation Project Goronyo, Alh Mani Nabatsame, explained that the recent action of withholding water from the dam was based on climate predictions released by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) for the 2025 planting season and the project's 2025 action plan for water management.

"We had to take this step based on the predictions, but I want to assure you that there is no cause for alarm," Nabatsame said. "The dam's reservoir is currently housing over 185 million cubic volumes of water, adequate enough to manage pre-inflow from its three main tributaries of Rivers Gagare, Bunsuru, and Maradi."

The Middle Rima Valley Irrigation Project Goronyo, constructed in 1984, provides water for irrigation and domestic uses to millions of farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, and other stakeholders on the stretch of River Rima Basin covering over 500 kilometers in the downstream across Sokoto and Kebbi States.

At the end of the meeting, the Project Manager confirmed the release of water from Goronyo Dam three days ago, following directives by the Managing Director, Alh Abubakar Malam Shettiman Gwandu. "We have released water from the dam as directed by the MD, and we are committed to ensuring efficient service delivery to our stakeholders," Nabatsame said.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, including the Executive Director Engineering Services, Hon Mansur Aminu Khalifa, Executive Director Planning and Design, Hon Kabiru Ladan Maigoro, Director Administration Alh Hassan Bawa, Head of Procurement Yahaya Kaoje, Project Manager Zauro Polder Hajiya Mariyatu Sulaiman, and Abubakar Sagir Head of Climate Change Unit.