FG Engage Farmers On Facilities Maintenance On Water Irrigation

Umar Akilu Majeri

Hundreds of farmers and water users were trained and engaged by Hadejia Jamaare  River Basin Development Authority (HDRBDA) for effective maintenance and protection of multi-billion dollars irrigation facilities in Kano and Jigawa state.

 

The Managing Director of  HJRBDA Alhaji Maa’mun Da”u Aliyu revealed this while fielding questions from newsmen on their arrangements to ensure effective maintenance of the irrigation facilities under his authority after the ongoing rehabilitation of the Scheme.

 

He said, Federal government in collaboration with World Bank embarked on the total rehabilitation of the irrigation scheme under Hadejia Jamare and other three River Basing Development Authority in Northern Nigeria

 

 

The MD noted that, Under the Project known as Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMIN) carried out by the Federal Government and World Bank there is a component for training and capacity building of farmers to enable them to take part in the maintenance of the irrigation facilities.

 

“Henceforth, after the TRIMIN project, farmers will take ownership for maintenance of all primary Irrigation Facilities and Waterways, while the federal government will take care the secondary facilities including Dams, Rivers and Main Canal’.”

 

According to him, Famers will also be solely responsible for collecting water fees out of which they will take a certain percentage for the regular maintenance.

 

Mr. Ma”amun also revealed that in the next month of September Hadejia Jamare River Basin Authority is expected to take delivery of  Heavy Duty Machine use for desilting and dragging the river.

 

He said the machine will be used for regular clearance and dragging of the river Hadejia which will help in the increase of water flow in the river and also address the perennial flooding that kills people and destroy farmlands.