Farmers, Fishermen Urged to Stay Alert as Tiga Dam Begins Turbine Test
By the Newsroom
KANO —- Farmers, fishermen and communities along the river course have been urged to remain vigilant as authorities commence a test run of new hydropower turbines at Tiga Dam.
The advisory was issued by the Managing Director of the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, in a public announcement ahead of the technical exercise scheduled to begin Saturday.
According to the statement, the test run involves the activation of newly installed 8-megawatt turbines designed to generate hydroelectric power as part of efforts to expand energy supply in the state.
The exercise is being carried out in collaboration with the Kano State Hydropower and Energy Development Company, which is partnering with the river basin authority to improve hydropower generation in Kano.
Bichi explained that to enable the test, the left-side and riverbed outlets of the dam will be temporarily closed, a measure he said is necessary for the technical process.
“We want to assure the public that we do not expect any water shortages downstream,” he said.
“The closure of these outlets will be fully compensated by controlled water discharge through the newly activated 8-megawatt turbines.”
However, he urged those whose livelihoods depend on the river to closely monitor conditions during the exercise.
“We call on all water users farmers, fishermen and communities along the river course to remain vigilant and report any unusual or adverse effects they might observe,” Bichi added.
He noted that any concerns arising from the test run should be reported to the nearest office of the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, stressing that the agency remains committed to managing water resources responsibly while improving hydropower production at Tiga Dam.