The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday handed over 12 rehabilitated irrigation systems to farmers under the Kano River Irrigation Scheme.
The 7,521 hectares’ scheme was done under the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, with funding from the World Bank-supported Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project.
At the event, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said the Kano River Irrigation Scheme (KRIS) was one of the five existing irrigation schemes being rehabilitated and expanded by the present administration.
The minister said 25 sectors, which covered a total area of 7,521 hectares, have been completed and handed over to farmers so far.
He said in line with the principles of the TRIMING Project, Water Users Associations were supported with workers managing the sectoral offices, towards achieving proper operation and maintenance of the irrigation systems.
This, he noted, was with the intention of also empowering farming communities around all TRIMING Project Irrigation Schemes.
Adamu said consultative meetings were held severally in all TRIMING schemes to deliberate on guidelines on Irrigation Service Fee collection, in line with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.
He said some successes had been recorded on this task, saying this would be replicated in all public irrigation schemes nationwide.
He however urged the River Basin Development Authorities to ensure that farmers and their associations managed the canals, drains, roads culverts and other infrastructure effectively.
“The contribution of Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority’s management towards the performance of the management transfer process, which is from Government controlled to farmer managed is impressive.
“This will guide future decision of Government in involvement of other RBDAs in transferring the management of irrigation systems from Government owned and controlled, to farmer managed system.’’
Earlier, Managing Director, Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Maamun Aliyu, said the significance of irrigation farming system as a viable Project was laudable.
He said the handing over was an opportunity for farmers to contribute their quota towards all-year farming and socio-economic development of the country.
The National Project Coordinator, TRIMING Project, Peter Manjuk, said it was an ambitious intervention of the Federal Government to provide facilities for dry season farming of about 37,000 hectares in five schemes.
