It has been said that Nigeria cannot depend on rain-feed and expect to feed its high population except it employs irrigation system.The country has land cover that ranges from thick mangrove forests and dense rain forests in the south to a near-desert condition in the north-eastern corner of the country with annual rainfall over the whole country estimated at 1, 150 mm. But the major problems are the distribution in time and space and the low dependability of rainfall, which makes the irrigated agriculture essential if Nigeria is to achieve food sufficiency, JOHN OBA writes
Nigeria according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is among those nations that are at the moment technically unable to meet their food needs from production at a low level of inputs, and this, the FAO stated, appear likely to remain so even at intermediate levels of inputs at some points till 2025, despite the government strive to make the country self-sufficient in food production by 2016. But these may not be possible except, irrigated agriculture is intensified.
Though Nigeria has extensive groundwater resources, located in eight recognized hydrogeological areas together with local groundwater in shallow alluvial aquifers adjacent to major rivers, irrigation which is an essential component of sustainable agricultural development is faced with challenges similar to those confronting other public and private sector economic activities because lack of policy to regulate the use of irrigation in the agricultural sector.
Improvements in the irrigation subsector according to FAO requires clearer and more appropriate policies and programmes; major involvement of adequately trained farmers; availability of fertilizer and seed of adequate quality; and an increasingly farmer-owned and -operated irrigation system.
The poor utilization of the developed irrigation area in the public irrigation sector is attributed to the lack of a coherent irrigation subsector development policy and strategy; insufficient attention to management systems; inadequate funding; high capital and operating costs; inadequate farm support services; poor operation, repair and maintenance; a low level of project ownership acceptance by the direct beneficiaries; and uncertain financial and economic viability. And that these lapses, has led to a number of schemes already deteriorated badly and are in urgent need of major renovation and repair, less than 20 years after their construction.
That was why FAO and the Ministry of Water Resources, recently organized a one-day national stakeholders workshop on irrigation policy and strategy with the aim of developing a suitable national policy and strategy for irrigation development and management in order to make the nation self-sufficient in food production as well as ensure food security.
Addressing the workshop, the FAO representative in Nigeria, Dr. Louise L. Setshwaelo, said African leaders have always acknowledge the centrality of agriculture, in rural development; in the fight against hunger and in reducing poverty. Adding that Nigeria and countries in sub-Saharan African, have recognized and acknowledged the importance and need, to improve efficiency, modernize and transform the agricultural sector, to enable it play its rightful role in reducing the inherent poverty in the continent and that they also recognized that to achieve this, there must be reduction in dependency on rain-fed agriculture.
She therefore called on the government to increase and sustain their investment in irrigation development saying the country’s substantial potential for irrigated agriculture using the existing network of over 200 dams, in addition to large rivers and lakes in the country presents a huge opportunity to boost productivity levels in agriculture.
“Accelerating developments in this area, is critical for achieving the goals of Nigeria’s vision 20:20:20 and the national transformation agenda. I am confident that back by strong and rebust institution, as well as enhanced technical skills, of both the irrigators the agriculture sector will have significant impacts on the quality of life of the rural households in Nigeria, with equitable benefits.”
Minister of water resources, Mrs Sarah RengOchekpe, declaring the workshop open said despite the enormous potentials of the country in the water sector and the investments in the development of irrigation schemes, studies still show that there several challenges such as lack of inappropriate legal framework, inconsistent and unstable policies, poor planning and execution of projects, funding constraints and limited stakeholders’ participation has been militating against sustainable development of irrigation in the country.
She said despite the development of 12 River Basin Development Authorities charged with the responsibilities of developing water resource for mainly agricultural purposes there are still food shortage persist while food demand is on the increase as a result of increasing population, adding that to overcome this, Nigeria needs to boost its agricultural production by further expanding its irrigation capacity coupled with other support measures to maintain sustainable food production.
“Let me emphasized that irrigated agriculture is one of the food security strategies being adopted by the present administration in meeting the challenges of Nigeria’s rapidly growing human population. It has also been the policy of my management to expand the area under irrigation in order to increase food production and to create appropriate enabling environment for systainable agricultural development.
“The government anticipates that the implementation of this programme would improve the living standards of the people, enhance food security as well as provide employment opportunities for the rural dwellers around the area.
Policy
Addressing the participants during the technical section of the workshop, a consultant, irrigation engineering department of agricultural engineering and irrigation, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, DrAbubakar Z. said the policy framework if adopted by the government will provide a robust framework focusing on removal of bottlenecks and creating an enabling environment for sustainable and environmentally responsible irrigation development and that it will address issues of equity in access and distribution of water, institutional capacities both at federal and state levels, irrigation technologies, and compliance with environmental regulations, capital investment and infrastructure development as well as maintenance.
Setshwaelo, on her part said the absence of an officially approved irrigation policy and strategy, together with relevant laws to underpin the policy, can be a bottleneck that limits progress and efficiency in irrigation development and expansion.
“Of critical importance now, is the need to update the irrigation policy and strategy necessary to guide developments in the sub-sector, addressing issues of water rights and payments and technical skills needed for effective and efficient implementation of improved irrigation technologies. Of particular importance, the policy should provide a clear definitation of roles and responsibilities, of the different stakeholders, at all levels. In agricultural water management, maintenance of the irrigation schemes as well as strengthening capacities, especially that of water users/irrigators and support institutions at national and sub-national levels.”
The director of irrigation in the ministry of water resource, Engr. Joe Kwanashie, giving his welcome remarks said only over 200,000 hectares of land are irrigated in Nigeria which is grossly inadequate. He said FAO has committed over N51 million to irrigation project in Nigeria while the ministry has contributed N50.2 million on the same.