DAY 2

1. FISHING AT AKATA LAKE

Arrived Akata Lake at 8:45am
Lake:This is an extensive body of water enclosed in a hollow usually surrounded
by land. Some lakes are permanent while others are usually transient.
There are two (2) major type of lake on the basis of their origin;
Natural: These are caused by any of the following processes; erosional agents,
depositional agents, earth movement, vulcanicity etc. Man-made: These are
caused by biotic agents (man and animal).
Tourism:This is one of the leading sectors of the world economy and has been
identified as a means of generating national income in less developing
economics. Alabi (2001) stated that today, no country in the world, whether
developed or developing can afford to ignore the importance of tourism to its
economic, social and cultural development. More than before, nations of the
world have become increasing more aware of the immense benefits derivable
from tourism, and are vigorously developing their tourism industry.
Location: The Akata Lake is located at the western part of Katsina-Ala town and
behind it is the River Katsina-Ala.
Evolution of Akata Fishing Festival
Documentary sources provided information on the evolution of the festival that
the fishing festival is a celebration of the rich culture of the Tiv people in Benue
State. The annual festival is held at Lake Akata near Katsina – Ala in the month of
May/June each year. Fishing competition is the main event on the day of the
festival and other activities include traditional dancing, traditional singing,
power bike riding, traditional wrestling, boat racing and arrow shooting
competition. The common tourist activity of the festival is that of local fishermen
struggling in their boats to outdo each other. The competitors mostly use nets
and other fishing instruments to catch fish during the festival (Benue State
Government, 2010). The two days participation observation carryout during the
festival reveal that in 2011, the festival was held for two days, on the first day,
the event took place at the Akume Atongo stadium in Katsina – Ala and attracted
the fourteen (14) Local Government Councils of Tiv Speaking areas of the State. It
featured traditional Tiv pageant (Miss Akata) that aimed at promoting the Tiv
woman and her virtues and Kwagh – hir puppet theatre which was on hand to
thrill the tourists/visitors. The Miss Akata competition entertain the people at
the stadium as the contestants took different Tiv dance steps aimed at convincing
the judges that they should be selected as Miss Akata 2011. The beauty pageant
attracts tourists at the annual festival. On the second day, it was the main event
of the festival, fishing competition. Everything was classy. From Katsina-Ala (the
main town) to Akata Lake (the venue) there were directional signs that directs
tourists/ visitors to the festival, the fishing ground. The organizers have stepped
up the stakes and the quality of organization and competition. Despite the small
size of Akata village, it is now open to the outside world.
Types of Fish
The activities are not organized, the lake is not harness and therefore, the type of
fishes is difficult to be identified.
Fishing Method: The method of fishing is mostly by the use of nets.
Preservation Methods: There is a management strategy to preserve the fish for
maturity for the next fishing festival, therefore, persons are not allowed to fish
unauthorizely.
Economic Benefits of Akata Fishing Festival
 Increase Income: Income is created most directly in areas with a level of
tourism. The festival brings new money into the local economy by the
tourists/visitors that attended the festival through purchase oflocal crafts in
 the area. The tourist money has multiplier effect in Katsina-Ala economy as
residents too sale local crafts to tourist/visitors during the festival.
 Creation of Employment:Tourism not only creates income but employment,
too. Some jobs are found inintermediaries supplying services in the
generating area and in the tourist destinationsthemselves. The festival creates
jobs for the local unskilled and semi-skilled people in the area. These include
jobs directly related to tourism intermediaries supplying services such as
hotel services, tour services, local handicraft manufacturers and food services.
 Provide Business Opportunities:Tourism induced investment. This is what
economists call accelerator effect. Thus, if tourism to an area booms, more
investments in both tourism and other allied sectors may very be expected.
The festival helps to attract additional businesses and services to support the
economy of the area. The businesses are food vendors, handicraft shops, car
hire services, entertainment, etc.
 Revenue to Government: Tourism activity is used by certain economies as
an important resource for generating government revenue. The
tourists/visitors pay the taxes indirectly by buying food andbeverages, and by
staying in hotels and other facilities. For instance, Value Added Tax (VAT) on
hotel bills raises money for the local, state and federal governments. The
Akata fishing festival provides the Local and Stategovernments with revenues
each year through accommodation, restaurants services etc.
Challenges Associated with the Festival
 Publicity:In the management of tourism event, publicity is very vital. The
Katsina-Ala Local Government Council and Benue State Government
advertised the festival only in the local radio/newspapers. This limits the
dissemination of information about the festival to the other parts of the
country or the world.
 Poor Access Road:The road leading to Lake Akata where the festival takes
place is not easily assessable.This may discourage visitors/tourists from
attending the festival.
 Accommodation:Accommodation is one of the important elements in
tourism. There are no adequate hotel accommodations in Katsina-Ala during
the festival to accommodate the visitingtourists/visitors. This lend to hotels
exploiting the tourists/ visitors that attend thefestival.
 Inadequate Funding:Money is very important for the development of any
tourist attraction. The Akata Fishing festival presently needs more funding
from the Katsina-Ala Local Government Council and/or Benue State
Government.
 Lack of Private Sector Investment:No private organizations have showing
interest in the promotion of the festival since itsinception. Therefore, there is
need for the Katsina-Ala Local Government Council andBenue State
Governments to encourage private investment in the festival.
 Poaching: Akata fishing festival is an annual event, inadequate security at the
Lake enable villagers to take advantage to catch fishes illegally which are
preserve for the festivals. This also reduces fish population in the lake during
the festival.
Conclusion/Recommendation
It is clear that cultural festival such as Akata fishing festival is a tool for economic
development and promotion of cultural tourism in Nigeria. It is also pertinent
that Akata fishing festival is veritable tool for economic gains to the people of
Katsina-Ala Local Government Area. However, the festival has some problems
including inadequate ofpublicity, bad access road, inadequate accommodation,
insufficient funding, and lack ofprivate sector investment in the festival.
However, these problems need to be tackled.
To tackle these problems associated with the Akata fishing festival, the following
Recommendations are suggested as follows;
 Increase Publicity: The Katsina-Ala Local Government Council and Benue
State Government should improve in marketing and promotion of this festival
through publication and advertisement in the media such as national dailies
(Newspaper/magazine), national television stations/radios, internet and
other relevant media. This will go a long way in dissemination of information
or improving the publicity of the festival.
 Provision of Access Road to the Lake Akata: The road leading to the Lake
Akata from Katsina-Ala should be upgraded, if possibletarred for easy
accessibility.
 Accommodation: The Katsina-Ala Local Government Council, State
Government, private organizations orindividuals should help to build more
standard hotels with adequate facilities to reduce the problem of
accommodation face by tourist/visitors during the festival.
 Funding: Katsina-Ala Local Government Council and State Government
should improve funding ofthe festival. More money should be allocated to the
Ministry of Agriculture andDepartment of fisheries for the development of the
festival.
 Poaching:There is need to increase security at Lake Akata by Katsina- Ala
Local Government Council to protect the fishes at the lake. This will boost the
fish population at the lake and will enhance more competition during the
festival.
 Private Sector Investment:There is need for the organizers of the Akata
fishing festival to encourage private sectorinvestment in the festival. This will
increase funding of the festival in the future.Corporate organisations such as
telecommunication companies, for example, MTN, Etisalat, Airtel, GLO, etc.
 should be encourage to invest in the promotion of the festival by branding the
cultural event.

2. HARGA HILL
Location: The Harga Hill is located at eastern part of Katsina-Ala town and
Benue State and the hill is named after the village (Harga) it is situated.
The shape of the hill or type is conical, it occurs as a result of volcanic eruption
and it has a steep slope. It is a dormant hill and found along the line of weakness
which starts from Cameroun, pass through Harga, Nassarawa and Plateau.

There are three (3) forces involved in rock formation and they are;
Structure: This consist of the intrinsic minerals
Processes: Such as Denudation and it consist of weathering, erosion,
transportation and deposition
Time: This involves the time it takes for all these agents to come together in the
formation of a rock

Economic Importance

Ecological Importance

DAY 3
3. FARMING IN FLOODPLAIN (FADAMA LAND)
Arrived Katsina-Ala Dura Floodplain at 8:45am
Location: The Katsina-Ala Dura Floodplain in Buruku LGA is located at the
eastern part of Benue State, particularly Makurdi town. It starts from the
confluence of River Katsina-Ala and Dura Stream to a part called Durever.
Farming: This is the activity of growing crops and raising of livestock.
Before the oil boom in Nigeria and precisely in the 1950s, agriculture was
responsible for 63% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This has dropped to
about 48% in the 1970s, (Agboola, 1979). To ensure its development therefore,
tractors, sprayer, pesticides and fertilizers are necessary for its development in
any society. In view of this therefore, agriculture has occupied a pride of place in
various authorities.
Floodplain: This is also known as fadama land, it is flat region of a valley floor
located on either side of a river channel. A floodplain is built of sediments
deposited by the river that flows through it and is covered by water during floods
when the river overflows its banks. During most floods, just a portion of the
floodplain is covered with water and only during infrequent, very large floods is
the whole floodplain covered. Floodplains tend to develop on the lower and less
steep sections of rivers.
Types of Farming
Farming is seasonal in Katsina-Ala Dura Floodplain, the type of farming is mix
cropping ( the growing of two or more types of crops on the same piece of land)
and the farming is intensive (increasing agricultural production through
scientific and technological methods such as the use of chemicals that boost
growth or crop yields are used to increase productivity).

Types of Crops
Rice, maize, pepper, sugarcane, cassava and irrigation is been practise during the
dry season and vegetable like spinach, tomatoes, okra, pepper, garden egg and
pumpkin (ogwu) are been planted.

Economic Importance
 Revenue Generation:
 Employment Opportunities:
 Foreign Exchange Earning:
 Provision of Basic Raw Materials:
 Improve Standard of Living:
 Provision of Infrastructural Amenities:

Challenges
 Lack of Storage Materials
 Crude Farming Implements
 Lack of Capital
 Poor Transport
 Problem of Pest and Disease
 Land Tenure Problem
 Lack of Research

Conclusion and Recommendations

The utilization of floodplains for agriculture is critical to food
securityandeconomic development of the nation. It has been discovered on the
basis of the fieldfindings that floodplains of River Katsina-Ala has great
potentials for farming. However, the problems associated with the practice in the
Katsina-Ala Dura Floodplain had affectedthe development of farming system. It
 therefore means that unless concrete steps aretaken to improve the practice by
overcoming all the problems identified in the study area,the farmers will still be
hindered despite their efforts in making the produce available inlarge quantity.
Therefore, government at all level should encourage small scale farmerswho
engage in dry season farming in order to guarantee the most needed food
security inthe country. Based on the findings of the study, the following
recommendations were made:
 Indigenous community leaders and government of Benue State should
encourage indigenous farmers to practice dry season vegetable farming by
way of providing the necessary facilities as well as enabling environment for
the business to thrive.
 Agricultural extension services should be offered to the farmers on modern
methods and innovations in vegetable farming since majority of the present
farmers in the study area were illiterates. They should be taught on how to
improve on vegetable farming techniques as well as learn to keep farm
record.
 Farmers should form an association to enable them access government
agricultural and banks loans both in cash and farm inputs at low interest
rates. Farmers should also learn to use local technologies such as application
of organic manure to increase vegetable yield.

4. COLONIAL TRADING POST

4.1. RICE MILL
The rice mill was the administrative headquarters of the colonial masters in
Katsina-Ala. It was a place for the collection of beniseed by the British using the
structures as collection point before they relocated to Britain.
Location: It is located at the
Materials:
Processing: After harvesting, the rice is been soaked in a drum for a day after
which it is been parboil for a complete day then it will be allowed to cool for a
day (so that the water will soak in order to prevent it from breaking), remove the
rice then dry it on either rock or trampoline for two to three days before grinding
it depending on the weather condition.
Marketing: Rice is sold to the local community because it is produced locally
(local rice), they are either sold mostly in bags, mudu or cups. They are owned by
individuals and they pay tax to the government. They produce 30 to 40 bags in a
day (those involved in milling)
Economic Importance
 Increase Income:
 Creation of Employment: Rice milling does not only create income but it
helps in creating employment to people who are directly engage in the
production processes e.g. the millers, the sellers, transporters etc.
 Provide Business Opportunities:
 Revenue to Government: Rice milling activity is used by certain economies
as an important resource for generating government revenue. The
government generates this revenue through tax collected on the millers,
sellers, transporters etc as in the form of Union through Value Added Tax
(VAT)
 Source of Food: It provides food for the entire community or country
through processing it into rice, paddy etc for consumption.

Challenges
 Poor Access Road:
 Inadequate Funding:
 Poor Production: Locally milled rice is of poor quality and is consumed
mainly in the rural areas.
 Amenities:
 Market:
 Milling Machines:
 Credit Facilities:
 Compensate Against Market Failure:

Mitigation
 The government should promote the adoption of the new hybrid rice varieties
to help boost rice production. These new varieties are high yielding, early
maturing, disease resistant, and high in protein content.
 The government should plan to procure rice milling machines designated for
rural areas and provide irrigation access to farmers for rice cultivation.
 The government should provide credit facilities, unorganized delivery of
inputs and sales & distribution channels.
 However, opportunities exist in the rice milling sector if there is an inclination
to invest in better processing technologies. The returns would be attractive
given the large price spread between clean imported rice and the lower
quality local rice, justifying investments into latest technologies on areas like
destining.
 Compensate against market failure: It is the role of government to address the
issue of market failure. That most farmers, for hundreds of miles are growing
rice is an indication that there is market for it. That is why government’s role
is to get access to finance at very cheap rates.
5. Urban Environmental Management
Environment: The word has been derived from the French word Environir
which means ‘to surround’. Thus, environment refers to the sum total of
conditions which surround man at a given point of space and time. It is a
composite term for the conditions in which organisms live. It includes both biotic
and abiotic substances. In other words, environment is the totality of all physical,
social and biological factors, individually as well as collectively, that comprise the
natural and man-made surrounding.

Urban Environmental Management involves planning and allocating places for

specific purpose (building, commercial, processing etc)
Katsina-Ala is well planned with block planning system, and grid pattern
planning borrowed from Greece.
The town is divided into several uses e.g. industrial, residential, recreation etc

5.1 Katsina-Ala Flood Control

Flood Control: The strategy carried out for the prevention of flood is the
construction channels constructed in other to prevent humans and their
properties from flooding, drainage are constructed along the streets and the
major drainage constructed was that lunched by ...............
However, these drainage channels constructed have been destroyed by man in
various ways eg;

Causes of Flooding
i. Flooding occurs mostly when there is heavy rainfall in an area
ii. Dumping of refuse along culverts which eventually blocks the channel of
flow
iii. Poor drainage system within an area
iv. Inadequate urban planning
 v. Erection of buildings along the drainage channels e.g. culverts, road and on
water shed
vi. Establishment of settlements along river channels
vii. Poor construction of embarkments and dams may result in flood

Effect of Flooding
Flood is currently one of the most ubiquitous ecological problems that have
direct negative impacts on our natural resources base. Floods pose direct threat
to lives and general safety of our citizens and adversely affect the nation’s
economy in diverse ways.
 Floods not only damage property and endanger the lives of humans and
animals, but have other effects as well.
 Rapid runoff causes soil erosion as well as sediment deposition problems
downstream.
 Floods Spawn grounds for fish and other wildlife habitats are often destroyed.
 High-velocity currents increase flood damage; prolonged high floods delay
traffic and interfere with drainage and economic use of lands.
 Bridge abutments, bank lines, sewer outfalls, and other structures within
floodways are damaged, and navigation and hydroelectric power are often
impaired.
 Financial losses due to floods are commonly millions of dollars each year.

Control of Flooding
i. The basic methods of flood control have been practiced since ancient times.
These methods include reforestation and the construction of levees, dams,
reservoirs, and floodways (artificial channels that divert floodwater).
 ii. Flood can be control through direct restoring vegetation and instituting
efficient methods of soil management, such as crop rotation and contour
plowing.
iii. Flood can be control through the construction of floodways on the lower
reaches of rivers to divert floodwaters. The rivers should be widened at
certain points and allowed to overflow. Inundation of certain confined areas
prevents the flooding of other areas.
5.2 The Old GRA: The old GRA has been abandoned since the colonial masters were
no longer staying there, the major building were those constructed by the
colonial masters with few new structures.
5.3 The New GRA: The new GRA is well planned and before any building is being
erected, the owner is required to submit the plan of the house for proper
scrutinized before construction to prevent collapse of building and destruction of
lives and properties.
5.4 General Hospital: The General Hospital is well located, the environment is neat
and quiet, the physical structure is good.
5.5 Market: The market is well organized into various segment, department or
sections based on the range of goods sold in the market in other to ensure easy
identification of the goods to someone who is new in the market. E.g. Abattoir,
you will find out that 99% of the traders are meat sellers of different types of
meat.
The Range of Goods and Services
Goods are classified based on Higher Order (manufactured) Goods e.g. Boutique,
cosmetics, building materials, jewelleries, shoes, electronics, provision, bridal etc
While Services such as Police Station, Bank, Transportation (taxi, bus,
motorcycle, wheelbarrow pushers etc)

Measures to Control Urban Environmental Management

 It is necessary for everyone to cultivate the habit of rearranging his/her
personal lifestyles like avoiding bush burning, abstaining from.
 Illegal dumping into rivers, drainage channels, on street of materials that
would adversely affect human health, welfare or amenities, or marine
ecological systems or economic potentialities should be controlled.
 There is need for installation of dust filters, acoustics or use of factories and
home with a view to reduce sound pollution.
 The government should educate the public on the need to keep the radio and
television volume low in cities and towns and use of noiseless power movers
in institutions.
 Housing regulations should be strictly enforced so as to include the necessary
conveniences and other social amenities.