By Umar Idris Shuaibu – Kano
Northern Nigeria boasts vast arable land, with the potential to feed the entire country and even export surplus produce. However, this region faces a dire threat from the encroaching Sahara Desert, which advances southward at a rate of 0.6 kilometers per year, displacing millions of residents within their own country.
This relentless march of the desert leads to land degradation, rendering once-fertile fields barren and uninhabitable. This crisis not only endangers food security but also undermines economic and social stability. Northern Nigeria, particularly states like Kebbi, Zamfara, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa, and Bauchi, is at the forefront of this environmental challenge.
According to reports obtained by Daily News 24, Nigeria loses a minimum of 35,000 hectares of arable land annually to desert encroachment in the north. This staggering loss is equivalent to the size of Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic and most populous region.
Malam Musa Tanko Haruna, an expert from the Geography Department at Bayero University, Kano, explains that desertification results from both natural causes and human activities, including excessive farming, overgrazing, deforestation, and the burning of trees at their roots.
“The agents causing desertification in the northern part of this country, and particularly in Kano, are on the rise,” says Malam Musa Tanko Haruna. He emphasizes the urgent need for government and non-governmental organizations to implement drastic measures to combat this issue.
One effective approach to mitigate desert encroachment is through afforestation, tree planting, and the preservation of existing vegetation. Implementing sustainable agriculture practices, planning for controlled grazing, and reducing reliance on firewood as a fuel source in rural areas are also essential steps.
The Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) in Kano, an intervention initiative aimed at addressing desertification, has made significant progress in preserving natural rivers and combating the encroachment of the desert.
One of the major consequences of northern desert encroachment is the mass migration of people due to the loss of farmlands, which places immense pressure on food production in the country. This loss of farmlands has severe socio-economic impacts, particularly as it forces populations to relocate to urban areas, straining available resources.
Farmers along the Niger Republic border have reported an 80% reduction in crop yields. Farmlands that used to yield over ten bundles of millet can now barely produce two due to the relentless advance of desertification, resulting in increased poverty.
Jauro Ahmadu, a local leader in a farming community, highlights the need for further government intervention, especially research into quick-maturing crop species. This research is essential due to the drastic reduction in the rainy season, which has been shortened to about three months per year.
We are suffering here in Gogel village of Warawa area; we face many environmental problems such as desert encroachment,” says Jauro Ahmadu. “Rainfall keeps reducing each year. Some ten years ago, we used to witness rainfall for at least six months, and farm harvests were impressive. Now we hardly get four months of rainfall.”
