Deputy Director, Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Oyakhirome Florence, has said the formation of the Water Users Association, will boost food security across the country.
She said the Association will make farmers maintain certain boundaries while the ministry of Agriculture maintains the River Basin.
In an interview with journalists, she said the ministry which is currently working on 5 hecters per state due to paucity of funds also said that it is targeting youths especially graduate jobs, in the 774 Local Government Areas that would boost Nigeria’s economy.
According to Florence, Nigeria avoided a recession during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of the promotion of irrigated agriculture, which was made possible by the former president, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who forced all farmers to return to the land, resulting in year-round farming.
The director stated: “We want young people, especially recent graduates, to farm year-round. Because of financial constraints, we are currently focusing on five hecters per state; however, if funds allow, we hope to expand to include all 774 local governments in the nation. Among other people, the financing and all of the farmers, legislators, and stakeholders are essential to our success. We will be able to improve this nation’s food security as a result.
“We have the Water Users Association, where farmers are formed into groups. They have certain boundaries that they maintain on their own while our Rwer Basin maintains the main canals and head-walks of the dams.
“So, these new impacts and technology have enabled farmers to have more money in their pockets, youths are the most engaged and we also promote micro irrigation which gender/women participation in irrigated agriculture,” she said.
Continuing, she said in 2023, the ministry commissioned three major projects, “the Gari Irrigation Project which is about 2,114 hectres, covering 7257 farmers, we commissioned Hadeja -Valley Irrigation Project, we commissioned Kano River Irrigation Project, over 15,000 hectres.
Recall that on Wednesday, during a two-day seminar titled “Promoting Digital Solutions for Farmers in Remote Communities to Adapt to Climate Change, Supported by the European Union,” agricultural specialists proposed a complete embrace of technology as a means of bolstering food production.
The partners comprised the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, and the University of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Imo State.
Chris Addy-Nayo, the Team Lead for the Digital EU Finance Project, clarified that whereas certain farmers would want financially competitive resources, others would prefer training that aligns with the international norm for food production.
“The main objective of this workshop is to discuss the pathway to the digital project and engage the Federal Government authority concerning the survey undertaking in their various states and to present the recommendations and the challenges so that the government can follow up and provide the necessary support in terms of the engagement of digital solutions for farmers in remote communities across the country,” he said.
