Arewa Revival Project Backs Tinubu for 2027, Cites Kano Irrigation Projects
The Arewa Revival Project (ARP) has pledged support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's 2027 re-election due to his administration's ecological interventions in the Kano River Irrigation Scheme. Projects at Tiga, Challawa Gorge, and Kafin Chiri Dams aim to boost food security, rural development, and climate resilience in Northern Nigeria. The ARP emphasizes the need for timely completion and community involvement for sustained success, aligning these efforts with the 'Renewed Hope Agenda.'
The Arewa Revival Project (ARP) has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing ongoing Federal Government interventions at three dams under the Kano River Irrigation Scheme. In a statement signed by its Project Coordinator, Hon. Muttaka Ahmed Ibrahim, the group praised rehabilitation and irrigation expansion projects at Tiga Dam, Challawa Gorge Dam and Kafin Chiri Dam in Kano State, describing them as investments in food security, climate resilience and rural development.
The projects are being implemented through the Ecological Project Office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, according to the group. ARP said the interventions could increase agricultural production, improve rural livelihoods and support economic growth across Northern Nigeria.
According to the statement, the Tiga Dam intervention is designed to open new irrigation sectors in Yakasai, Gwamma and Gurjiya, covering approximately 875 hectares through new canals and related infrastructure. Completed in 1974, the dam has a reservoir capacity of about 1.97 billion cubic metres, an estimated irrigation potential of 230,000 hectares, and the capacity to support 10 megawatts of hydropower generation.
At Challawa Gorge Dam, the project focuses on developing 240 hectares of irrigable land through the construction and rehabilitation of canals, access roads and other water-management structures. The Kafin Chiri Dam intervention is expected to open a further 164.91 hectares across the Kunpada, Matanfa and Maida sectors, using new main, distribution and field canals.
ARP said the projects could enable year-round farming, increase crop output, create jobs, attract private investment in agribusiness and strengthen food supply chains, while improving communities’ resilience to climate-related challenges. The group argued that the interventions align with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its stated priorities on food security, poverty reduction, economic diversification and inclusive development.
It also stressed that the projects’ long-term impact would depend on timely completion, effective maintenance, transparent implementation and meaningful participation by the communities expected to benefit. ARP called on government agencies, local stakeholders, and farming communities to support the initiatives, arguing that continuity in leadership would help sustain and expand ongoing development projects; it also urged an integrated approach to ecological restoration that balances environmental protection with local livelihoods and lasting socio-economic benefits.