The Federal Government has approved a 1.295 billion dollar Public Private Partnership (PPP) proposal by Al Qaryah Agro Allied Ltd to develop the Challawa Gorge Dam in Kano State into an agro-industrial hub.
The Independent Mirror reports that the approval was conveyed in a letter dated Aug. 18, 2026, by the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA), signed by Faiza Sani Iliyasu on behalf of the Managing Director.
The authority said it was satisfied with the environmental and technical sustainability of the proposal and expressed readiness to concession the dam for agricultural and aquaculture activities.
Under the proposed concession, the company will develop and manage modern farming systems, including cage aquaculture, aquaponics, hydroponics, floating agriculture and integrated rice-fish farming.
Other components include duck farming, aquatic plant cultivation and floodplain irrigation.
HJRBDA said ownership and regulatory control of the dam and its water resources would remain with the authority, while the company would oversee the project’s operations.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Abubakar M. Nagwamatse, said the project would deploy innovative farming and aquaculture methods to maximise the use of the dam’s water body.
“We plan to introduce crop production on water surfaces, alongside aquaculture and irrigation farming.
“This project will create at least 10,000 jobs and significantly boost food supply, which in turn will lower prices and open export opportunities,” he said.
Nagwamatse said the project would also include a 150,000-metric-tonne-per-year feed mill and a hatchery capable of producing 50 million fish fry.
He said the investment was aligned with the Federal Government’s food security agenda, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme and the Komadugu-Yobe Basin SAP.
The Managing Director of HJRBDA, Mr Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, had earlier welcomed the proposal, describing it as a major step towards unlocking the socio-economic potential of water infrastructure in Northern Nigeria.
He said the authority had been looking forward to increased private-sector participation in PPP projects.
Bichi added that the project would contribute to agricultural development, job creation and improved food production in the region.
