NAN-AE-5
Irrigation
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, April 12, 2017 (NAN) Mr Peter Manjuk, Project Coordinator, Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Programme, on Wednesday urged farmers to take ownership of the projects aimed at rehabilitating the nation’s irrigation facilities.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the Federal Government’s intervention programme was being implemented in partnership with the World Bank.
Manjuk expressed regret that over the years, the government’s investments in River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) had not yielded any positive results.
He, however, stressed that for Nigeria to compete favourably with other nations in efforts to attain food sufficiency and security, the country had to reduce its dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
He said that as Nigeria’s population expanded, deliberate efforts ought to be made to revamp the river basin authorities across the country.
Manjuk said that RBDAs would serve as a veritable means of fostering the socio-economic development of the nation.
According to him, Nigeria must get it right, if it must meet the citizens’ demands regarding food production and food security.
He said that the project, which was being executed under the aegis of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, was targeted at improving the nation’s irrigation system via five specific schemes in five northern states.
According to him, the schemes are Bakolori Irrigation Scheme in Zamfara, Middle Rima Valley Irrigation scheme in Sokoto, Kano River Irrigation Scheme in Kano, Hadejia Valley Irrigation scheme in Jigawa and Dadin Kowa Irrigation scheme in Gombe State.
Commenting on the Bakolori Irrigation Scheme, Manjuk said that 30 per cent of Bakolori Dam had been silted up, adding that pre-rehabilitation studies on the dam were underway.
He, however, said that the dam was still providing water for the Bakolori irrigation project, adding that the TRIMING intervention was also aimed at upholding international best practices in the project.
“It is not a dam that has been lying idle; it still provides potable water for the residents of Bakolori city and it has also been providing water for Bakolori irrigation scheme over the years.
“It is just that the Bakolori Irrigation Scheme went down and now, we are about to revamp it. So, the dam will still continue to serve its purpose,’’ he said.
Manjuk said the Federal Government was also looking at the possibility of exploring the hydropower generation potential of the dam, saying that the enterprise would be beneficial to the people.
He said that TRIMING project would rehabilitate derelict irrigation schemes and expand them where possible, adding that it would also examine existing institutional arrangements, with a view to improving them in line with global best practices. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/OOK
============
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe