A few kilometers from the historic railway town of Kafanchan in Kaduna State’s Jema’a local government lies a natural beauty that has been left looking unkempt and unable to attract suitors. Despite being only a few metres from the Kafanchan-Madakiya-Zonkwa-Kaduna motorway and quite visible, it lacks refinement and no one dares to look at it.
The beautiful Matsirga waterfall may be seen from the road on the right when traveling to Kaduna from Kafanchan. The crystal clear water pouring down the rock from a height of around 30 meters generates a splashing noise that can also be heard from the road.
The path leading to the waterfall is bushy the tranquil environment is breathtaking, almost magical.
The glittering bubbles of water streamed from atop what appeared to be a hard gypsum rock and splattered at the base of the rock, forming a pool that circled and then flowed gently westwards.
The cave’s gaping mouth crested the pool, casting dark shadows on the water’s surface. The stream’s color shifted from crystal clear to muddy as it meandered down. The smooth lapping of the water as it flowed down, snaking around boulders, created sonorous melody that was both earful and lovely.
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A magnificent scene was produced by the green foliage of savannah grasses and shrubs on both banks of the stream, as well as the chattering parrots and humming finches. It’s no surprise that the locals refer to the stream that created the waterfall as “river wonderful.”
Many locals will not know about Matsirga waterfall and may even think you are talking about a destination that is nowhere near southern Kaduna, but once you mention river beautiful, you are guaranteed to see a gleam arise in their eyes and a blazing smile cross their features. They also enjoy recounting strange stories about the creek and its magnificent waterfall.
The waterfall, which is known for producing rainbows and smoke from its pool on some Sundays, spans between Aduan 5, a Kafanchan suburb, on the southern bank and Matsirga, a village that is now in ruins following the 2011 post-election violence, on the northern bank, which is actually in Zangon Katap local government.
The stream is crossed by a deteriorated railroad bridge at the ridge of the rock that produces fall from the eastern horizon, while the highway crosses the stream from the west.
Nonetheless, many residents believe that the waterfalls’ tourism potential has mostly gone unexplored. Tourism experts believe that exploiting the full potential of these tourist attractions could help to solve the state’s unemployment problem, because tourism demands the services of qualified, semi-skilled, and unskilled individuals.
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Fortunately, a private investor is developing the Madikiya Heritage Resort inside the falls’ vicinity to meet the relaxation demands of tourists and visitors. Aside from the resort, another nonpublic investor has advanced plans to develop a five-star hotel close to it. Aside from the Matsirga Waterfalls, there are the Awatsung Waterfalls in Madakiya, a nearby town.
The proximity of the Matsirga Waterfalls near Kagoro, site of the touristy annual Afan National Festival, and the Kagoro Hills, the Nok Cultural Center, as well as its ease of access by train and highway, make it a viable tourist treat if properly tapped.Kafanchan is the commercial heart of Southern Kaduna and is located around 227 kilometers south of Kaduna City, the capital of Kaduna State in northern Nigeria.
