Residents of Kiyawa Town in Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State have protested their exclusion from the state government’s newly approved flood mitigation initiative.
Despite years of being impacted by perennial flooding, the community expressed disappointment over not being listed among beneficiaries of the recently announced funds intended for flood remediation efforts across the state.
The Traditional Ruler of Kiyawa, Lawan Ahmad-Bako, raised the concern in an open letter addressed to Governor Umar Namadi.
A copy of the letter was made available to journalists on Tuesday in Dutse.
According to the monarch, Kiyawa Town has long suffered from devastating floods that damage homes, farmlands, and critical infrastructure each rainy season.
He described the exclusion as both “perplexing and deeply troubling,” given the town’s well-documented vulnerability to flooding.
“We, the concerned residents and community leaders of Kiyawa Town, write to express our profound discomfort and disappointment regarding the recent announcement by the Jigawa Government of its approval for billions of naira to tackle flooding across the state in which Kiyawa Town appears to be excluded,” the letter read in part.
The traditional ruler lamented that, despite repeated appeals to government agencies at all levels, Kiyawa has yet to receive any long-term or sustainable intervention.
He acknowledged the government’s effort in allocating significant funds for flood mitigation and described the initiative as commendable. However, he urged a reconsideration of the list of communities selected to benefit.
“Each year, from the onset of the rainy season, our homes, farmlands, livelihoods, and public infrastructure are devastatingly impacted,” he said. “This annual catastrophe has inflicted immense hardship, displaced families, destroyed crops, and consistently eroded the economic and social fabric of our community.”
Ahmad-Bako stressed that data from the State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant bodies consistently identify Kiyawa as one of the most affected areas in Jigawa. He called on the state government to include the town in its current intervention plans.
He further appealed for a dedicated assessment of the specific flood vulnerabilities in Kiyawa to support the development of long-term and sustainable solutions beyond emergency relief.
The royal father also assured the government of the community’s readiness to cooperate with any team deployed to assess the situation or implement mitigation projects.
“We believe that with the appropriate government intervention, the cycle of annual devastation can finally be broken, and the hope of our community can truly be restored,” he said. “We are confident that the Jigawa Government, under your leadership, will demonstrate its commitment to equity and the wellbeing of all its communities.”
