On Monday, President Bola Tinubu announced a national emergency regarding food security, calling for enhanced irrigation infrastructure and collaborative water resource management across the country.
This announcement was made during the opening of the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage in Abuja, where he was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Tinubu urged African countries to implement innovative solutions to tackle the continent’s irrigation and water management issues. He emphasized that the conference theme, ‘Tackling Irrigation Development and Water Management Crisis in Africa,’ serves as a call to action for sustainable agriculture and economic resilience.
He noted that Africa faces significant obstacles in realizing its irrigation potential due to insufficient infrastructure, financial limitations, climate change, and governance challenges.
‘This conference provides an essential platform for us to collaboratively forge a way forward,’ he stated.
Tinubu highlighted that Nigeria possesses over 3.1 million hectares of irrigable land situated near major river basins like the Niger and Benue.
Additionally, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, mentioned that the government has completed several key initiatives under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria project.
He revealed that its successor, the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project, aims to fill existing gaps while maximizing the economic benefits of water resources to enhance food security.
As the TRIMING project concludes, Nigeria is set to commence the SPIN project in collaboration with the World Bank. ‘This initiative will build on the achievements of TRIMING and broaden our irrigation capabilities,’ Utsev remarked.
The minister highlighted that the TRIMING project, which lasted over seven years, achieved significant milestones, including the successful completion of the Dadin-Kowa and Bakolori irrigation schemes, as well as reaching 90 percent completion of the Middle Rima Valley irrigation project.
Additionally, it facilitated ongoing initiatives in Ondo, Kwara, Benue, Kebbi, Edo, Adamawa, and Oyo states. He also pointed out that the project established Water Users Associations and farmer management centers, while enhancing market connections for essential value chains like rice and tomatoes.
Furthermore, the minister disclosed that River Basin Development Authorities had developed over 153,000 hectares of irrigable land, which is being partially commercialized to draw private sector investment. He mentioned the 2025 Flood Outlook and Risk Management Strategy, designed to reduce flood-related impacts on agriculture. This conference serves as a venue for sharing knowledge, fostering innovation
