Traditional Agriculture and Water Use in the Sokoto Valley, Nigeria

This article describes the ecology of traditional agricultural practices in the floodplain of the River Sokoto in north-west Nigeria. The area lies in the Sudan savanna, and rain-fed agriculture is subject to periodic drought. Although river flow is also highly variable, both seasonally and between years, the floodplain represents a valuable agricultural resource. Floodplain hydrology is complicated, but surveys of flooding based on interviews with farmers, together with a study of cropping practices, reveal a complex and highly developed agriculture in the floodplain based on the cultivation of rice and sorghum varieties of known flood-tolerance. These wet-season crops are followed by vegetables grown in the dry season. Despite the sophistication and potential for development represented by the floodplain agriculture, official development has failed to capitalize upon it. Instead, attention has been focused on the development of a small area for irrigation. The Bakolori Dam, which supplies this scheme, has altered natural flooding patterns and disrupted the traditional cultivation over a wide area.