Kano’s silent orchards: How mango production is being killed by sand mining

By Lukman Abdulmalik

The orchards that had been rich in fruits in Tassa community in the Dawakin Kudu, Kano State have changed so that it has become a sort of a sad reminder of the earth that is slowly being killed off.

Trees that once were green and full of mango fruit now appear as the battered one – skinny and brittle as the branches, and curled and burnt by the merciless sun.

It is the earth beneath them, which is fissured and apparently, very dry, that is narrating the story of the scars that have been left behind due to uncontrolled sand mining, and the unregulated climate change that has been occurring several decades at least.

The locality of Tassa was renowned due to the mango farms that grew there, a neighborhood in which mango fruit that grew out of the tree provided the income and sustenance and identity of many generations of people.

But now the orchards are bare of leaves-rope, though rich of ideas–survival stories in defiance of the great elemental powers which the farmers gamble on.

On coming across this assignment, as the reporter was walking around the fields, he noticed that mangrove trees in the rows were affected by drying leaves, shedding, and breaking of roots.

Further, certain trees were dropping at a high risk, hence, the soil slipping and sinkhole enlarging had led to their weakening; also, some of the trees were already deceased, hence making the hollow plots which had previously been occupied by the tall trees.

Their lifeline, the river, which is the sole river in the community, has been polluted to the extreme extent and suffocated by the sand mining events, and therefore the water that used to quench the farms and the households is limited nowadays.

A Former Prosperous Orchard Gone To Cemetery

One of the agriculturalists trying to keep their heads above water as the environment is ravaged by the farmers is Abdulwahab Dantsoho, a tomato, pepper and mango farmer whom the community highly respects and once used to rely on his orchards to provide money to his family.

In witnessing a log which had fallen under a tree, and remembering when he had been successful, he said that prior to the aggravation of mining operations, his mango trees had been fruitful and had yielded him about twenty-seven pieces of fruit in a year.

The sales amounted to between N600,000 and N1,500,000 and this mango farming was not only his source of agricultural business but also a source of livelihood.

“At this moment that lifeline is lost.

None of the trees had borne any fruits in the past three years.

“There is no water at all now.

That river became dry, wells became sunken, leaves began to fall, and I had nothing to do but cut down the trees to make firewood, he explained as his tone was low and repentant.

The eight mango trees which had been his pillar of support throughout the past 20 years are now reduced into wood ashes and memories.

In their absence, Dantsoho has been left only to lack the revenue and to lose hope.

The scenario in which he has undergone resembles a mirror whereby it reflects the faces of individuals who inhabit Tassa, and who rely on the farming of fruits.

The dry seasons have become more intense because of climate change, the temperatures are becoming hot and the rains are less predictable.

When these hardships are compounded by sand mining that has resulted in deforestation and altered natural water flows and broken soil, then the resultant effect is an environmental meltdown and it almost appears irreversible.

Wagner cut a Mother to her Lifelines

Kubra Ahmed is seventy-four years old and has her sad story.

Being a mother of 5 children she planted the mango trees which became her breadwinner.

The fruits of the trees made her raise her children, take care of her extended family and even give her daughters as a bride.

The land she has so proudly been working on has however betrayed her.

“Well my well is dry,” she said in a low voice.

“The ground fell, and the water ran and my trees fell down in a row.”

In 2023, Kubra lost 11 of her mango trees and in 2024, she was chopping them down and burning them into charcoal because they were no longer producing fruit.

With the loss, she said, she lost all of her life experience; not only was her income gone but also was the fact that the trees were the symbols of her work, heritage, and femininity.

Her family can no longer afford to struggle with the mangoes since they are gone as the mango trees generate about N2 million yearly.

Sand Mining and Climate Change: A lethal Interaction

The destruction of the environment in Tassa is not limited to the destruction of trees.

Sand mining has caused destabilization of riverbanks hence, the formation of sinkholes capable of sustaining large volumes of ground water and leading to the shrinkage of surface water is their resultant effect.

Contaminating the river affects the less abundant aquatic life and the agricultural land as well as all houses that require water to drink and live.

The soils here have been made weak and unable to retain moisture or nutrients hence, further elimination of economic trees has also been quickened.

The climate change has aggravated the situation by depriving the land of more rainfall and the heat has made the crops that are already facing hardships even harder to survive.

A recent scientific review has warned that river sand mining poses serious environmental risks, as rising demand for construction materials drives increased extraction worldwide.

The study finds out that removing sand from riverbeds alters natural river structures, leading to channel deepening, bank erosion and changes in water flow.

These physical disruptions can increase flooding risks and weaken the stability of surrounding landscapes.

Ecologically, sand mining causes habitat destruction and biodiversity loss, particularly affecting fish, aquatic organisms and riverbank vegetation.

The degradation of these habitats can trigger long-term ecological imbalance across river and floodplain systems.

Sand mining is now a major environmental issue in Kano State, whereby the unchecked mining activities along riverbanks and floodplains are changing the landscapes in manners that are contributing to flooding and jeopardizing agricultural livelihoods.

The Whistler observed that clearing of waterways of sand on riverbeds and banks destabilize natural embankments and enhance erosion, thus decreasing the capacity of waterways to handle large volumes of rainfall and seasonal flows.

The process may reduce the river courses and diminish the natural defenses of the landscape to expose nearby agricultural land and settlements to flood risks.

Farmers in Kano have documented first-hand accounts of the devastating harm caused to their farms and irrigation systems due to current mining of sands.

In places such as Tassa and Rukku, in Dawakin Kudu LGA, where the extraction of sands along the rivers such as the Tumburawa has been aggressive, the erosion of arable land has been witnessed to a high rate to the extent some farmers refrain to sell their parcels to low bids or even abdicate their activities.

Umar Bala, who is a farmer, has lost three acres of farmlands to the growing riverbanks washed away by mining activities which used to be fruitful in crop production.

There are also reports of upsurge in riverbank erosion where mining is high and this affects access to irrigation and farms during rains.

The same have been echoed by residents in Madobi, Dawakin Kudu, Gobirawa who report of erosion and increasing water levels which have submerged farms in some places and even graveyards.

In Tassa, the residents associate the process of sand extraction with the lack of water to irrigate their farms and jeopardize their agricultural performance and the economy in general.

Weakened borrow pits and excavation areas have turned out to be the epicenters of soil instability and surface runoffs which may fill the natural and artificial drainage systems during heavy rains.

The deteriorated sites tend to provide pathways where water flows in the farmlands in a haphazard manner, instead of seeping gradually into the ground, and hence, exacerbating the flood effects on crops and infrastructures.

The erosion of farmland and rising flood dangers are putting farmers at a risk of reduced production, poverty and food security issues are on the rise.

According to the report made by Farmers Association of Nigeria in Kano, the sand mining activity has destroyed farms in the local government areas resulting in difficulty by farmers in accessing and making use of their farms.

These testimonies highlight the effects of the seriousness of the integrated policy action, which balances both economic activity, climate change and environment protection, as well as flood risk reduction in order to preserve the agricultural foundation of Kano.

In an interview with one of the sand miners Usman Abubakar claims that his job is now more profitable.

“I make between 15,000 to 20,000, even more, in one day.
He remembered that activities at the location had been modest.

“The first thing we had when we started was wheelbarrows and little trucks.

“Now, we have bigger tipper trucks and over 500 trucks are loaded with sand each day.

“We operate round the clock here, I can’t estimate the number of times a tipper’s to and fro here, but I can say per tipper usually loads at least 3 to 5 times a day.”

Aliyu Ismail, who is the chairman of the labourers association, said that over 3,000 workers are currently involved in the site from different parts of Kano and also across.

Ripple Effect of this on the Economy of Kano

A document obtained at Mining Cadastre Office reveals that Kano State has a minimum of 96 sanctioned sand-mining licences and 51 were approved of which Dawakin Kudu local government area is among.

In 2021, a National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) investigation on complaints of farmers found over 30 dredging machines working on the Tassa river.

The impact of the sand mining on the economy of Kano state is vast.

Mango production is among the primary components of the agricultural value chain in the state that develops the local markets, the fruit processors and the state households.

As the orchards are dying, the supply in the market shrinks hence, increasing the prices and reducing the availability.

The formerly local economic developers have been converted to poverty thereby, being unable to operate their farms and fulfill the needs of their households.

The vanishing of these orchards is equivalent to the reduction of the internal revenue of the state and the growth of reliance on the production of other regions.

Amir Abdulazeez, a geographer researcher, noted that Sand Mining in Kano State, Nigeria” highlighted that uncontrolled sand mining is driving sections of Kano into an environmental and economic crisis.

He noted that an estimated 3,700 tonnes of sand mined in most Kano basin daily which is approximately 1.38 million tonnes annually.

Abdulazeez warns that Kano is already drifting into the over-extraction category with 1.38 million tonnes extracted in 2021 compared to a projected 2.4 million tonnes of sand being delivered to the river, this will lead to a possibility of depletion in the future and erosion of the river.

The expedition indicates that on-going digging is carving river channels, endangering agricultural lands, polluting water, exposing infrastructure – damage that eventually increases government expenditure on repair, floods, and losses in productivity.

Once the basin is destabilised, experts say that the damage to the ecosystems and infrastructure would significantly exceed the short-term economic benefits of the sand business.

He suggests that tougher regulation, scientific sand budgeting and implementation is required to ensure that the state does not descend further into ecological and financial losses.

Prof. Aliyu Salisu Barau, a professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the Bayero University, Kano, noted that the lack of trees in the community weakens human lives.

“The deaths of trees and reduction of the green cover are increasing the temperatures in the community hence, the residents are susceptible to heat-related diseases.

“As the water sources continue to disappear, women and children must travel further distances to acquire water and hence, they are exposed to the dangers of injuries and health complications.

“The food insecurity is increasingly becoming acute with the mangoes that give the much needed nutrients and other incomes becoming scarce.

“The safety of the farmers and cattle is also threatened by the sinkholes that have been developed as a result of the sand mining and therefore, the daily activities are very risky.

“The psychological issue that the farmers witnessing their life-long working vanish should not be ignored; depression, which has become a staple of most families, is one of such issues.”

The environmental experts fear that unless the solutions that need to be implemented are done urgently, tassa will eventually be left without farming as an option and the people will no longer be habitable.

The set of problems requires the urgent intervention, the restoration of the banks of the river, the regulation of the sand mining process, the supply of water resources, and the assistance of the farmers, who lost it all.

Without such an act the gradual destruction of the mango-orchards in Tassa is, after all, to be but the prelude of a far greater disaster.

Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar, a Nigerian climate economist, warns that climate change is significantly affecting Kano State’s economy, particularly agriculture and trade.

“Erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and prolonged dry spells are reducing crop yields, increasing food prices, and straining livelihoods across the state,” he explained.

He noted that desertification and land degradation are pushing farmers off arable land, leading to rural-urban migration that puts pressure on Kano’s infrastructure and informal economy.

“Water scarcity is also impacting irrigation and agro-processing, raising costs for businesses and reducing competitiveness.

Dr. Abubakar added that climate-induced flooding and market disruptions are creating price volatility, threatening traders’ incomes and consumer purchasing power.

“Without investment in climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and sustainable land management, Kano risks long-term economic instability,” he cautioned.

Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Sand Mining to Save Orchards

Sustainable alternatives to the intensive sand mining in Nigeria have been urged upon urgently by environmental experts and farmers alike and they have warned that unless action is taken sand excavation is hastening erosion, exacerbating climatic effects and putting orchards in various states at risk.

According to Dr. Hauwa Garba, an environmental scientist of Bayero University, Kano, said sand mining is causing erosion and degradation of riverbanks and agricultural land.

She said that by removing sand at a rate more rapid than that with which nature replenishes it, the soil surrounding orchards becomes loose and dries out more quickly, and the trees lose their roots.

“The communities should be provided with options that would safeguard their livelihoods without ruining the land.”

Garba suggested an alternative use of manufactured sand (M-sand) such as crushed rock that is treated to resemble sand in a river.

“M-sand also decreases river pressure and offers a more regulated building substance.

She emphasized that sustainability is less expensive in the long-term. When we save rivers, we save orchards, our food security and our communities.

The other sustainable solution as defined by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) would be to advise the builders to utilize recycled construction materials like crushed concrete and bricks as opposed to fresh sand.

NESREA field officer, Musa Abdullahi, asserted that recycling building waste helps in reducing the costs of illegal mining and preserving orchards that already are being strained by the altering rainfall patterns.

Kano Government Respond

In response to apprehensions raised by the citizens, Dr. Muhammad S. Khalil, the Executive Secretary of the Kano Watershed, Erosion and Climate Change Management Agency (KN-WECCMA) under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change added that the government has full knowledge of the sand mining operations in the state especially in locales like Dawakin Kudu, Madobi, and other localities of the 44 local government areas.

He observed that mining of sand is a controlled practice.
According to Dr. Khalil, the Kano State is presently working on a holistic climate change policy that deals with matters of land degradation and other related problems.

“The policy will save the environment and farmlands of communities which are affected by these activities.

“As far as sinkhole awareness is concerned, we have engaged in sensitization activities in all the 44 LGAs since sinkholes are a natural consequence of sand mining.

“We will intensify these campaigns by involving the civil society organizations (CSOs) and government agencies prior to the implementation of the policy.
“Our mandate includes all the matters concerning climatic changes and environmental degradation in the state.

“We shall always strive to suggest and introduce mitigation actions in order to curb the rate of sinkholes and make the sand mining more environmentally friendly.”

The mango orchards that once were rich are silent at present. All the dead trees are indications of what ensues when the climate pressure is combined with the environmental devastation.

With Khamis, Kubura, and many other countless individuals bide their time, awaiting the relief that may or may not be forthcoming, there is only one thing that is left floating in the atmosphere, and that is–suppose things go on as they are, what will become of tassa–and who will be the payers of the price of a land thus robbed of life?

This report is published with the support of Humanangle under SCOJA Fellowship.