Irrigation Schemes, FG Hands Over N9.5 Billion, 6,000.00 Hectares To Jigawa Farmers

Umar Akilu Majeri

In its determined efforts to boost the agricultural sector and justify the commitment of enhancing food security in  the country, the Federal government in collaboration of Transforming Irrigation and management in Nigeria has renovated  as well as expanded over  3,000.00 hectares and hand over to irrigation farmers of Hadejia Valley scheme in Jigawa state.

At the handing over ceremony, held at Yamdi, Auyo local government of the state,  the Minister of Water Resources and Rural development Engineer Suleman Hussaini Adamu  said it was part of the fulfillment of the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari when he visited the project in 2018.

Engineer Adamu stated that the project, which was started in 1980 during the Second Republic government headed by the executive President Alhaji Shehu Shagari and was abandoned by the past administrations.

He  said the title of the contract,” was construction, supervision, for Kano River and Hadejia Valley  Irrigation scheme  hems, Dams, safety, Remedial works, and River  training works in Hadejia Jam’are Basin”  was signed between the Federal government and CGCOC, on July 8th, 2018 with a view to tackling over flooding of the river, and boosting irrigation farming in the area at the Cost of N9,391,0494,980 Billion.

The Minister disclosed that the project, which  consists of four sectors, namely,  Arbunau Hausa, Auyakayi, Akubushin, and Yamidi stressing that a total area handed over to farmers was, 2865 hectares, adding that a total of  3,053 hectares of farmlands have been renovated and expanded,  saying that 35,00 farmers were trained on modern irrigation farming, plus 149 Extension workers are drawn from Hadejia Jam’are to guide the farmers of new farming Techniques.

He urged the users and stakeholders to make judicious utilization of the renovated and expanded hectares of farmlands.

In his  remarks, Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar has thanked the  federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari  over the completion of an appreciable percentage of the project pointed out that farmers knew how they suffer in fueling,  drilling of Boreholes and Tube wells before they get water to water their crops which according to him, was now history.

Governor Badaru used the occasion to curse those who had bad minds for destroying the projects saying that anybody caught trying to destroy the kernels and barrage put in place will surely face the full weight of the law.

 

In his points, the chairman, Jigawa state Council of traditional leaders who is also the Emir of Hadejia Alhaji Adamu Maje, has expressed unreserved appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Badaru for revitalizing the 40 years abandoned irrigation project.