Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Development Association (IDA) and the World Bank, is committing the sum of $495million in irrigation projects in Nigeria.
Osinbajo disclosed this on Friday while performing the inauguration of the Kano River Irrigation Scheme (KRIS) in Zangon Buhari Local Government of Kano State.
The project, which comes under the aegis of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, is part of efforts to address food insecurity in the country.
According to the Vice-President, the counterpart funding from the Federal Government for irrigation projects in the country is in the sum of $44million.
“I am delighted to be here at the official commissioning of the Kano River Irrigation Scheme, which is a part of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria Project, an acclaimed success story of the Federal Government’s intervention in agriculture.
“Today’s occasion is a milestone in the implementation of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria Project.
“This project was conceived in 2012 as a product of collaboration with development partners and eventually advanced into an implementable programme in June 2014 when it was approved by the World Bank Board.
“As part of our determination to address poverty and food insecurity, the Federal Government is implementing this project in collaboration with the IDA, the support of the World Bank in the sum of $495million and counterpart funding from the Federal Government in the sum of $44million.”
Osinbajo said that the objective of TRIMING Project was to enhance the productivity of no fewer than 140,000 farmers within the four rehabilitated irrigation schemes in Northern Nigeria.
He listed the four schemes as Bakolori Irrigation Scheme in Zamfara State; Middle Rima Irrigation Scheme in Sokoto State; KRIS and the Hadejia Valley Irrigation Scheme in Jigawa State.
According to him, the project provides technical assistance for farmers at each irrigation scheme and facilitates strong forward and backward linkages along the value chains.
“The project is an innovative approach adopted by the Federal Government, which has opened access to life-changing opportunities for the farming communities that are involved in the Project.
“The project also serves as a vehicle to effectively harness the potential of vast water resources infrastructure, some of which were built well over 40 years ago but largely remained either unutilised or grossly underutilised.
“The main beneficiaries of the project include basin stakeholders, irrigation and drainage entities, water users’ associations, farmers and rural dwellers in the Project areas.
“Through the direct infrastructure investments covering about 37,500 hectares across six States, concurrent activities in agriculture and on-farm water management in these areas, approximately 140,000 farm families with about one million people are directly benefiting.”
He said that the event was a clear demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to transform the conditions of Nigerians in the nation’s bread basket.
Osinbajo said it entailed optimising Nigeria’s water resources in ways that would revolutionise the local agricultural economy and ultimately enhance food security of the Nigerian people.
“The practical advantages of unshackling our farmers from the constraints of rain-fed farming and boosting their capacity for year-round farming cannot be understated.
“This is precisely what we are doing through this project.
“On the part of the beneficiary communities, we have seen that substantial infrastructure and other water distribution facilities have already been rehabilitated, modernised or even replaced.
“Through the years, these communities have suffered the frustration of poorly maintained water distribution facilities with the attendant losses that have ensued.
“It is my hope that we will now see these facilities as ours and embrace our collective responsibility of preserving them and ensuring their sustainability.”
Osinbajo commended Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, the Ministry of Water Resources, TRIMING, the Steering Committee and the Project Management Unit for the collaboration that brought the project to fruition.
In his goodwill message, Ganduje said it was a remarkable day for the people of the State.
According to him, the event is historic, because the Federal Government has bequeathed another development project to the people of Kano State.
“Kano State, being one of the most populous States in the federation, there is no doubt that our immediate need cannot be more than food security.
“So, the inauguration of this irrigation scheme has, no doubt, helped in increasing the socio-economic development of the State,” Ganduje said.
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; Emir of Rano, Alhaji Kabiru Inuwa; Managing Director of Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Alhaji Ma’amun Aliyu are among dignitaries who graced the event.
Highlight of the occasion was the unveiling of the plaque for the project by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
