By Paul Joseph
Farmers and residents of Basirka community in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State have ended a three-day fasting and special prayer for rainfall as a prolonged dry spell threatens maize, millet and other crops across the community.
The three-day exercise, which began on Saturday and ended on Monday, was held at the Basirka Eid ground, where residents gathered to seek divine intervention over the shortage of rainfall affecting farming activities in the area.
Residents also observed a voluntary fast on Monday, the final day of the exercise, before participating in the special Salatul Istisqa prayer led by the Chief Imam of Basirka, Sheikh Sanunu Basirka.
The development has heightened anxiety among farmers who depend largely on rain-fed agriculture, with some crops reportedly beginning to wither due to inadequate rainfall.
Speaking after Monday’s two-rak’ah prayer, Sanunu said the community had sustained the special prayer over three consecutive days as part of efforts to seek Allah’s mercy and relief from the dry spell.
He urged residents to continue seeking forgiveness, give charity and desist from acts that could attract divine displeasure.
The cleric stressed that the prayer should not be viewed as a one-off religious exercise, encouraging residents to maintain repentance and supplication.
The shortage of rainfall has become a growing concern for farmers in parts of northern Nigeria, where irregular rainfall patterns have disrupted agricultural activities, even as some southern parts of the country have experienced heavy downpours and flooding.
For farmers in Basirka, the immediate concern remains the survival of crops already planted during the farming season.
A 65-year-old farmer, Ibrahim Musa Dankoli, said his maize and millet farms were deteriorating because of the prolonged shortage of adequate rainfall.
He said farmers were increasingly worried about possible crop losses and had turned to prayer while hoping for sufficient rainfall to revive their farms.
Another resident, Haruna Aliyu Basirka, said the dry spell had created considerable anxiety among farmers in Gwaram Local Government Area.
According to him, the community decided to come together because of fears that continued lack of rainfall could destroy crops and further worsen the economic difficulties confronting farming households.
Similarly, a youth leader in the community, Sulaiman Adamu Basirka, said the prayer brought together men, women, youths and elderly residents from Basirka and neighbouring communities.
He said the community was praying for beneficial rainfall that would rescue their crops and provide adequate water for livestock.
The three-day religious exercise has highlighted the vulnerability of rain-dependent farmers to changing rainfall patterns and their potential consequences for food production and rural livelihoods.
With the farming season already underway, residents are now hoping for adequate and sustained rainfall to prevent further damage to crops and protect the livelihoods of farming families.
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