Developing a Framework for Payment for Ecosystem Services in the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands, Jigawa State

The Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands in Jigawa and Yobe States provide exceptionally high-value ecosystem services to millions of people across the Lake Chad basin, including flood attenuation, groundwater recharge, fisheries production, and agricultural support, yet no formal payment for ecosystem services mechanism exists to compensate upstream water users for maintaining downstream wetland function. This study develops a practical framework for payment for ecosystem services implementation in the Hadejia-Nguru Wetland system, drawing on hydrological modelling, beneficiary analysis, and institutional feasibility assessment. The hydrological modelling component used SWAT to quantify water yield and groundwater recharge contributions from upper catchment vegetation under alternative land cover scenarios. Beneficiary analysis identified and valued downstream ecosystem service recipients including irrigated agriculture, municipal water supply, and artisanal fisheries. Institutional feasibility was assessed through stakeholder mapping and interviews with 55 key informants from government, civil society, and private sector organisations. The modelling results confirm a significant positive relationship between upstream woody cover and dry season streamflow maintenance. Total annual economic value of regulated water services was estimated at N4.7 billion for major beneficiary sectors. Institutional analysis identified the Hadejia-Jama'are River Basin Development Authority as the most feasible transaction intermediary. Key design challenges include additionality verification, leakage control, and equitable benefit distribution to upstream land managers. A phased three-year programme pathway from concept to operational scheme is proposed, with a pilot catchment identified in the Kano River headwaters. Keywords: payment for ecosystem services, Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands, hydrological services, Jigawa State, institutional framework