Stories by John Oba Abuja
Th e federal government has fl agged off a $495 million worth of irrigation rehabilitation project scheme under the World Bank assisted Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. Flagging off the project in Talata Mafara, Zamfara state, Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, said the project which consist of 8,000 hectares and conversion/expansion of 5,560 hectares works at the Bakolori irrigation is to improve irrigation potential of the country. Adamu, in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs Margaret E. Umoh said that fi ve basins of Dadin Kowa in Gombe, Hadejia Valley in Jigawa, Kano River in Kano, Middle Rima in Sokoto and Bakolori in Zamfara were selected for the pilot phase. Adding that government hopes to replicate the scheme all over the country to boost the agricultural policy of food security of the present government. “TRIMING is converting the sprinkler component covering 5, 500 hectares and rehabilitation of gravity component covering 8,000 hectares that will provide a potential of about 13,500 hectares.
“Th is will improve large scale public irrigation in Northern Nigeria where it will make a contribution to agricultural production, growth and rural poverty reduction,” he said. He called on Nigerians to take to agriculture in full commercial scale as it now accounts for over 40% of the GDP. “Th e potential irrigable area in Nigeria is 21 million hectares, with over one million in the north, while
only 200,000 hectares are currently irrigated. Th erefore, the irrigation transformation and development is very essential for sustained agricultural growth of the country,” he emphasised. Speaking at the occasion, the National Project Coordinator of TRIMING, Engr. Peter Manjuk, stated TRIMING Project is an intervention programme of the World Bank to transform the irrigation production in dry season farming in Nigeria.
