Cascading from nigh 30 meters into a still and deep gorge that is supported by glorious rocks in the outskirts of Kafanchan is the Matsirga Waterfalls otherwise legendary as River Wonderful. The fall exhibits a lush powerfulness of nature where water gushes, tumbles and drops from 30 meters. The scenic beauty, warm and ambience and reinvigorated breeze around the waterfalls are soothing and tantalizing as tourists and visitors engage in merriments.

Moving towards the waterfalls, one perceives earsplitting sounds from the falls. One also notices sparkling bubbles of water flowing from atop hard rocks and striking severe at its base to form a pool that flows down the slope. At the point of contact downstream, the cascading showers of the fall create a rainbow-like mist which appears and disappears ‘mysteriously’ (when the sun passes above the water, it produces rainbow colours, though the locals believe there is some mystery surrounding the waterfalls). Another weird thing about the waterfalls is that at least 10 people have died inside the river but none of them is a native.  The river formed by the water increases with the rainy season when it overflows its banks. A natural rock shelter at the river bank forms a screening and a resting gauge for picnicking. Also, at the bottom of the rock is a 500 meter cave which gets submerged by the flood at the peak of the wet season. The weather here is also diametrical from what obtains in remaining towns and villages that adjoin the falls. Though the weather around Kafanchan, Kwoi and Kagoro is mostly mild, it is usually cooler around the River Wonderful.

Many residents are nonetheless of the opinion that the tourism potentials of the waterfalls have largely remained untapped. Experts in tourism expect that utilizing the full potentials of these tourists’ sites could settle the unemployment problem in the state, since tourism requires the services of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.

Luckily, a heritage resort known as the Madikiya Heritage Resort is being developed by a private investor within the falls’ region to serve the relaxation needs of tourists and visitors. In addition to the resort, plans by another nonpublic investor to build a five-star hotel next to it have reached an advanced stage. Besides the Matsirga Waterfalls, there is the Awatsung Waterfalls at Madakiya, a neighbouring town to Matsirga.

The proximity of the Matsirga Waterfalls to Kagoro, venue of the touristy annual Afan National Festival and the Kagoro Hills, the Nok Cultural Center and its easy accessibility by train and route, makes it plausible tourist delight if adequately harnessed.

Kafanchan is the commercial hub of Southern Kaduna and it is situated about 227 kilometers south of Kaduna city, the Kaduna State capital, northern Nigeria.

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