Nigeria Irrigation facilities are abandoned and decaying, JOHN OBA, in this piece x-rays the current administration’s efforts at resuscitating them.
The benefit of irrigation to Nigeria’s agriculture cannot be over-emphasised, as this formed the basis for the nation’s founding-father to build dams and several irrigation facilities which enhanced agricultural production in the 1970s and 80s leading to the country’s great stride in agriculture.
But when the federal governments withdraw funds and services in 1988, with the hope that the managing agencies with the support of the states will be self-sufficient and self-sustaining did not yield the desired result as a lack of maintenance led to serious deterioration of most of them thus resulting in the poor performance of many schemes.
Irrigation
Irrigation allows primary producer to grow more crops, produce higher quality crops, be more flexible in operations especially during water stress, achieve higher yields and meet market demand. Also, it is insurance against seasonal variability and drought and allows them take advantage of market incentive for unseasoned production. It further enables farmers to cultivate non-traditional high value crops, such as tomato, green pepper and leafy vegetables etc. Under favourable economic conditions, farmers can thus diversify their cropping patterns and earn higher incomes, which would increase overall household consumption and reduce poverty levels.
Effective irrigation influences the entire growth process from seedbed preparation to germination, root growth, nutrition utilization, plant growth and yield quality.
2017 tour
The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suileman Adamu, on assumption of office set as part of his priorities the resuscitation of dams and irrigation system. And with this, in 2017, he proceeded to tour some irrigation facilities in the country. While lamenting the level of decay, Adamu said the federal government would, however, ensure the completion of the abandoned projects rather than embark on new ones.
Narrating his experience then Adamu said: “A lot of the infrastructure that we visited were built in the 70s and early 80s at that time if you imagine the amount of money that were spent on infrastructure and the kind of support they were providing to people.
“And you see how desolate we found them, it’s quite appalling, but all is not lost, the infrastructure is there. All we need to do is to change our attitude and to try to see how we can invest more money and accord them the priority that they deserve. “Thankfully, this government has identified the need to give priority to agriculture, and therefore, it’s an opportunity to revive them, expand them and rehabilitate them.” He said the Federal Government was committed to expanding irrigation farming, adding that its target was to have no less than 500,000 hectares of irrigated agriculture by 2030.
The minister citing the Kano River irrigation scheme, as an example said, although it may be one of the largest in the country, one third of the irrigation facility was not cultivated in the dry season. “This is all because of a simple rehabilitation of the canal for the water to get there. It is not because there is no water, it is simply mismanagement.”
And true to that promise, current administration under the supervision of the minister, most abandoned infrastructures in the sector have been prioritised with many already completed and others at different stages of completion.
In fulfillment of his promises, and in order to safeguard the investment made and meet the water demand of the people in the intended service area, the current administration has provided funding for the completion of the project.
Inspection of dams, irrigations
In continuation of the efforts to resuscitate the dams and irrigation projects, Engr. Adamu, visited Kano state to inspect ongoing projects.
Addressing journalists during the visit, the Minister, said irrigation projects guarantee that farmers can cultivate their land all year round and would not have to wait till the wet season to commence farming.
Gari irrigation
The Water Minister disclosed this at Gari Irrigation Project site in Kazaure, Jigawa state on Friday 7th of February, 2020 at some stage in his official tour of Kano and Jigawa States to inspect some of the Ministry’s ongoing dams, irrigation and water supply projects in some parts of these states.
In his discourse with journalists, the Minister reiterated that irrigation projects ensure availability of water throughout the year and, farmers could cultivate rice three to four times in a year which is a tremendous boost to the economy.
He stated that such projects would be a contributory factor to the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to move hundred million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years.
Adamu also said that if farmers can cultivate the crops, sell them then the system will add value in terms of extension services in order to have adequate crops, better seeds and better yield. “The future is so bright for the communities around this place” he opined.
He regretted the delay in the construction work which he revealed commenced since 1978.
Engr. Adamu however, expressed his confidence that President Buhari led administration will make the resources available in order to complete the project for posterity sake and principally because it is a priority project.
Challawa Gouge dam
Earlier in his tour, the Minister whilst inspecting the Challawa gouge dam project site in Kano State stated that he decided to visit the sites to have a firsthand knowledge of work progress and to appreciate the size and complexity of the project. He disclosed that the dam completed in 1992/93; is a seven kilometre crest dam and millions of cubic metres of impounded water.
In addition, Adamu revealed that the issue of maintenance was a challenge and that a huge investment was made to lift the people out poverty, adding that save for the Ministry’s intervention the project was almost abandoned. “The Ministry is only intervening to bring it back to serviceable state in order to maintain the integrity of the Dam” he said.
Speaking further, the minister confirmed that there was a small component of hydro power in the project that Kano state is undertaking saying that it has become a challenge because there is no synergy between the contractors and the ministry’s River Basin Authority.
Tiga dam
Engr. Adamu also disclosed that Tiga dam which has the largest dam in the country built in 1974 and still impounds almost 2 million cubic metres of water was neglected for over 20 years thereby prompting some serious rehabilitation requirements which the Ministry under his watch has been addressing in the last 6 months.
The Minister revealed that farm land is being increased for irrigation for farmers and increase in production is expected as a result.
He conversely, urged state governments to replicate the federal government efforts and put the entire reservoir to use as such synergy could be of immense benefits to the teaming Nigerians living below poverty level. “The reservoirs have their purposes, vis-à-vis irrigation, recreation, and drinking water,” he said.
