Lower Benue River Basin Replaces Sprinklers And Nozzles To Open Flood System Using Canals

Rabiu Omaku

The Managing Director of Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority,Engineer Mohammed Addra has revealed that his agency in a concerted effort to improve irrigation farming has switched from outdated sprinklers and nozzles to a new improved open flood system of irrigation using canals as a source of water supply

Engineer Addra in an interview with selected Journalists at his residence at the weekend opined that switching from sprinkler and nozzle to a more friendly open flood system using canals as a source of water supply is in the right direction meant to replace the use of force and power.

Adding that the construction of canals out of the 2000 hectares of land remains the latest innovation to reduce cost and over-reliance on electricity.

According to him “This is possible with the ongoing small hydropower project which was a collaborative project between UNIDO and  LBRBDA”.

Engineer Mohammed Addra buttressed that the 900 Kilowatts of solar power was reduced to 390 Kilowatts, a project conceived in 2017 and was delayed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic not until 2022 that the project was fully in progression, reason is that the Chinese are our development partners.

The remaining work is the finishing touches which is the building of turbines, that is the civil works, what really, we are doing now is the development of 100 hectares of land using the Water Users Association.

“This Association is the composition of people within the host communities, that is irrigation farmers who are in Bokkos in Plateau State, Gidan Jatau in Benue State Guma in Kogi State”.

According to the Managing Director, “We are starting the open flood irrigation  under the Songhai Modern Irrigation system with just 6 hectares to test run the efficacy of the innovation.

Other Momentous achievements also includes the redevelopment of some of the dams especially like Mabodi dam in Plateau State Keana in Nasarawa State started by Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, Other earth dams are Lasse in Benue State, Warrock in Plateau State Naka in Benue and Bagaji in Benue State.

The Managing Director while speaking on the holistic approach taken to boost dry season farming within the LBRBDA catchment States comprised of Benue, Nasarawa Plateau and Kogi was the dredging of existing dams to boost irrigation and water supply.

He averred that effort has been made to dredge the 40 years old Doma dam commissioned in 1988,He maintained that dredging of the dam would desilt all sedimentary, weeds and sands reducing the volume of the water.

Commenting on the good programmes of the Federal Government towards boosting agriculture and food production was the introduction of the Trimming Programme,The M D added that Trimming was a World Bank programme introduced in just 4 selected communities of Doma in Nasarawa State ,Benue State, Hadejia in Jigawa State and Rema dam in Sokoto States.

He reeled out some of the challenges of LBRBDA including Insecurity Funding, Compensation and Encroachment of agricultural land and converting them to buildings.

“We are having six cases in some places where agricultural land was converted to private buildings”.

The Managing Director of Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, Engineer Mohammed Addra urges Nigerian Youths especially graduates to take advantage of the Federal Government graduate flagship programme initiated by the then President Muhammed Buhari.

The M.D appealed to the youth to key into the programme by acquiring training in the area of fisheries, crumbling forestry.

He said the call on Youth to develop interest became imperative due to the importance attached to the training , He listed some of the training centre including Doma in Nasarawa State Deb in Benue State, Sabon Gida in Nasarawa State and Ofaraci in Kogi State respectively.

Engineer Addra buttressed that special package known as ” Starter Packs” awaits all those that were trained , Stating further that the starter pack would enable the trainees to start their businesses.

Calling on the graduate trainees to be vigilant by protecting Federal Government infrastructures at all times.

“It was an oversight I forgot to inform you that we distribute water pumps to irrigation farmers at a subsidized rate”.

According to him”, The graduate Empowerment Programme is an N100m programme and it was expected to round off in ten years