To a traveler on a low-flying plane, Niger appears as a wide, intricately woven band in the contours of West Africa. Its rapids and cascades are like delicate white lace adorning the ribbon, and the tributaries are like fine stripes of green, gray and brown.
But for the five nations whose land is drying up and watering, and the more than 20 tribes that feed and live in its waters, Niger is more than just a gem. It is fundamental to your existence.
There are rules for further use. Nigeria plans to develop river traffic far beyond current levels. There are development projects for watercourses to increase irrigation for agriculture and livestock. In this and other ways, citizens of Nigeria, the Republic of Niger, Mali and, to a lesser extent, Guinea, the Republic of Benin and even Cameroon expect more benefits from Niger in the future. It is the result of a development that began about two hundred years ago.
River opening
Over the centuries, inhabitants, merchants and explorers have used the river in various places. However, no one could trace its origins back to the 19th century.
At the end of the 18th century, it was established that the river originated in the highlands of Guinea, only 360 km from the Atlantic coast, and from there it flowed inland. . The first explorers continued their course northeast through Guinea's lush tropical forests to Timbuktu. They found that it continued east and south in a wide ring through large savannas and dry dunes south of the Sahara. This has led geographers to wonder if it is a tributary of the Nile or the Congo. Some thought it was the Congo itself.
After several expeditions, explorers finally followed the entire course of the river to the mouth of the sea. They discovered that Niger after 4200 km entered the Atlantic through a labyrinth. Impressive currents that form their delta in the Gulf of Guinea, just 1700 km from the source.
After this discovery in 1834, the entire route was mapped correctly and opened to foreign merchants. Niger gained importance, far beyond its limited use by the local population. Until then, they used it only to transport small boats, fish and water supply in agriculture and the household.
Main watercourse
In 1878, four British companies worked on the river, transporting merchant ships inland. The relatively large steamships during this period traveled about 670 km upstream from Lokoja, at the Niger / Bénoué confluence. The Bénoué tributary is now navigable during the rainy season from its confluence for most of its 1,400 km route east to Garoua, Cameroon. However, the draft of vessels that are able to travel these distances varies from season to season, depending on the volume of water in the rivers.
River traffic has contributed to the development of a timber industry and extensive oil and rubber plantations in Nigeria. It also provided a relatively simple and inexpensive alternative for other agricultural products that could be exported from the northern hinterland and for the transport of imported material.
Due to the growing demand for cheap means of transport, it is expected to take full advantage of the great transport potential of the Niger / Bénoué river network. The annual need for transport is expected to increase from the current 1.5 million tonnes to over 6 million tonnes in 1985. To meet this demand, projects are underway to improve the system's navigation and provide ports and ports. fluvial. . suitable places for efficient load handling. .
The shallow waters of the desert plains of Mali and the Republic of Niger accommodate only shallow tugs. However, this part of the river has good traffic in the form of small fishing boats, merchants and canoes. Fishing and farming are important activities here, especially in the unusual Inner Delta region.
The inner delta
During the rainy season, Niger feeds on heavy rains in the Guinean highlands and gradually increases until flooding the plain of Mali. The flooding spread over many meandering streams and ponds. The soil absorbs water and stores it in wet swamps to form this "inner delta". This freshwater marsh extends over an area of 34 km wide and 425 km long with the northern border at Timbuktu. The gold particles carried by the river from the plateau helped make the city rich and famous in the Middle Ages. Although gold mining is a negligible concern today, water still provides good irrigation and excellent fishing grounds.
Rich rice fields thrive in swamps. The abundance of water during the flood season allows natural irrigation of fields of other cereals such as millet and sorghum. However, channels like those used in Nigeria are not used here. Water is transported to fields outside the swamps in leather bowls or other containers. Attempts to introduce modern irrigation systems have been thwarted by centuries-old land and water ownership agreements. In addition, distributing water through canals increases the risk of spreading waterborne parasites.
Fishing areas
Fishing is a great job. During the high water season, fish such as the great captain or the Nile perch leave the main rivers of the river and breed in the marshes. When the water falls from December to March, the fertilized fish may rub off in shallow water. Therefore, it is easy for fishermen to catch them or catch them in their traps in large numbers.
Of course, not only does the river support a thriving fishing industry in this inland delta, but it is only here that the river is crucial for the survival of plantations and livestock. Fishing is an important occupation for people across Niger. However, the Kainji Dam in New Bussa, Nigeria is unique in the development of the fishing industry. The main purpose of the dam construction was to supply water to the huge Kainji hydroelectric power plant which supplies electricity to Nigeria and the Republic of Nigeria. It is nothing new that this artificial lake, which covers nearly 1,300 km2, has become an important fishing area. A similar project has been proposed near Lokoja, southeast of Kainji. This would provide another large hydroelectric lake and create a large lake with potentially rich fishing grounds.
Coastal delta
Where the river is lost in Africa's most complex delta system, it faces towns that were once important from afar. It is an oil-rich region where oil is produced in quantities that make Nigeria one of the top ten producers in the world. As a result, people in this region mistakenly refer to oil as the river's second net gift.
In the power grid, Ijaw speakers practically live in water. Waterways are its roads and canoes are its cars. As for the inhabitants of the inner delta, fishing is their main occupation. When the men gather large stocks of caught fish in traps, the experienced women take their canoes. They become “fisherwomen” and bring the fish to markets near the water or to people who live in houses built on stilts out of the water.
It is also an area where the Liberian palm grows in abundance and is considered highly prized. He provided people with the materials needed to build houses and make brooms and rugs. As a bonus, a local gin is distilled from the juice extracted from the heart of the tree. No wonder oil companies pay dearly for trees when they buy swamps.
Niger is therefore indeed a river that people are looking for. Quench the thirst for the continent and add a touch of beauty to the continent. Development projects aim to make it even more specific to the economic growth of the countries through which it circulates.