Food security: Farmers to receive 15,000 irrigable hectares of land

In a bid to tackle rising food prices, the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has disclosed that 15,000 hectares of irrigable land will be handed over to farmers by the end of the third quarter of 2024.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Utsev, made the disclosure on Thursday in a keynote address delivered at the official opening ceremony of the 30th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Water Resources and Sanitation.

The minister said the theme of the ceremony, ‘People, Planet, and Prosperity: Promoting Water Governance for National Food Security’, is in line with the present administration’s comprehensive plan on food security, affordability, and sustainability.

Utsev said food security, ending poverty, economic growth and job creation, inclusivity, and security are President Bola Tinubu’s presidential priority areas for the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.

He said: “Irrigation and Food Security Irrigated agricultural practice has been identified as key to a vibrant Nigerian economy, accounting for a high percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a viable intervention option that will ensure national food security and poverty alleviation.

“Since the last Council Meeting, some completed irrigation schemes have been completed and handed over to farmers for cultivation through the World Bank-sponsored Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project.

“These schemes include the Hadejia Valley 5,750ha irrigation scheme in Jigawa State; the Kano River 14,444ha irrigation scheme in Kano State; and the Gari 2,114ha irrigation project in Kano and Jigawa States.

“The Ministry is also developing irrigable areas totaling over 15,000 hectares, which are nearing completion. This will be handed over to farmers by the end of the 3rd quarter of 2024.”

He further disclosed that in order to transform and promote irrigation development towards sustainable food production and security for the greater socio-economic well-being of the nation in line with the Tinubu-led administration’s ‘Renewed Hope’ Agenda, the Ministry proposes to channel all efforts towards achieving the target of developing 500,000 hectares of land by 2030.

“This will be achieved in collaboration with the Federal Department of Irrigation and Drainage, River Basin Development Authorities, states, local governments, and the private sector,” the minister said.