The Hadeja-Jama'are River Basin Development Authority has resumed construction on the Kafin Zaki dam in Bauchi State, more than four decades after work was abandoned. The project, located in Ningi Local Government Area, had remained dormant since the early 1980s due to funding gaps and shifting government priorities. Rabiu Bichi, Managing Director of the Authority, disclosed the development following a site inspection, confirming renewed federal interest in completing the infrastructure. He spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Friday, stating the dam's completion is now a priority for agricultural and water resource development in the region. Bichi emphasized that the rehabilitation of the project aligns with national efforts to boost irrigation farming and manage seasonal flooding in the river basin. No specific timeline or budget for completion was disclosed during the interview.
When Rabiu Bichi says the Kafin Zaki dam is now a priority after 40 years of neglect, it signals more than infrastructure revival—it exposes how long-term planning has collapsed and been resurrected on political whim. The fact that no budget or timeline was provided suggests this restart may be more about optics than execution. If the government is serious, measurable milestones must follow, not just announcements decades apart.
