The World Bank has made a pledge to reposition Nigeria’s irrigation farming sector in order to promote sustainable economic development and ensure food security. The commitment was announced during a visit by officials from the Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria/Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (SPIN/TRIMING) project to the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, in Abuja on Thursday.
Empowering Farmers and Enhancing Productivity
The SPIN/TRIMING project has successfully strengthened the quality of and access to productivity-enhancing and market access services for 130,000 farmers across four rehabilitated irrigation schemes. These schemes include the Bakalori Irrigation Scheme in Zamfara, Middle Rima Irrigation Scheme in Sokoto State, Kano River Irrigation Scheme, and Hadejia Valley Irrigation Scheme in Jigawa.
As part of the project, technical assistance will be provided to establish a Farmers’ Management Centre at each of the irrigation schemes. This will ensure farmers receive the necessary support and resources to optimize their agricultural practices.
Fostering Collaboration and Achieving Objectives
Jun Matsumoto, the Team Lead for the World Bank officials, commended the successful transformation of irrigation asset management in Nigeria, primarily attributed to the establishment of water users associations. He stressed the importance of collaboration and urged for support in achieving the objectives of the SPIN project.
The core objectives of the project include utilizing existing water resources infrastructure to address Nigeria’s water resources and energy requirements. This will involve comprehensive technical assistance studies focused on large-scale water resources management and the development of multi-purpose dam hydropower projects.
Acknowledging Success and Ensuring Food Security
Prof. Utsev acknowledged the impressive achievements already recorded in Nigeria’s TRIMING project and highlighted the integral connection between economic sustainability and food security. He emphasized the pivotal role of the TRIMING project in enhancing food production and welcomed the proposal to replace TRIMING with SPIN, as it will address Nigeria’s pressing challenges in the area of food sufficiency.
The Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to food security, improved irrigation techniques, and enhanced farming practices across the country. He expressed gratitude to the World Bank for the significant progress made over the past nine years and expressed optimism that the project will continue to yield even more remarkable outcomes.
NAN
