World Bank To Produce 150,000 Tonnes Of Rice For  Jigawa Farmers

Umar Akilu Majeri

Jigawa state governor Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, popularly called,” Baba Mai calculator;” has predicted that if the ongoing rehabilitation and expansion of the 6,000.00 Hadejia Valley irrigation project undertaking by the Federal government and funded by the World Bank, the state will produce over 150,000. 00 tonnes of assorted Rice that earn it well over #30billion.

The governor made the assertion on the occasion of handing over the 3,000.00 hectares of lands at Hadejia Valley irrigation scheme and Dam safety Remedial works at Yamidi, Auyo local government area of the state, on Saturday.

He pointed out that if the scheme was completed plus 2000. Hectares, Kaazaure irrigation project, which was fully completed, the state can produce a total of 150,000.00 tonnes of Rice and will enrich the economy of the state with the whopping sum of #30 billion annually.

He said the initially the side of the project, was 25,000.00 hectares of irrigable which was started by the Civilian administration of president Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari and abandoned for 40 years and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has revived the project and awarded the contract in collaboration with TRIMMING project funded by the World Bank for the Rehabilitation and expansion of 6,000.00 hectares of lands.

Governor Abubakar noted that the main advantage of the irrigation scheme, crops such as rice, wheat, maize, pepper, tomatoes,  onion, among others can grow three seasons in a year indicating that the state has a comparative advantage.

He disclosed that farmers and users who were along the riverside area of Hadejia River, spend much money on processing,  production cost, fueling of generators to water their crops, with completion of this project, they can save well over #1.2billion annually.

”We prayed to God to show us when the proposed 25,000.00 of irrigable land which passes through up to Yobe state which boosts Jigawa economy and provides millions of jobs to our teeming youths,” he stated.

Alhaji Badaru said that the rehabilitation and expansion work of the scheme, kernels, and Barrage, in ongoing in six states of the Federation, namely, Sokoto, River  Basin, Benue River, Kano Hadejia, and Jama’re River basins stressing that their own was moving past than the others.

He added that the Contract awarded for the rehabilitation of roads from Gaya in Kano state to Kafin Hausa, to Gamayin, and from Kwanar Dumawa to Babban Mutum, a Border town to the Niger Republic was a clear sign of love and passion, president Buhari has for People of Jigawa state.

” I have no amount of words to thank my father, my president,  mentor, and leader Baba Buhari, the Emir of Hadejia Alhaji  Adamu Maje, and the hon, Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu for their immense contribution towards the actualization of the irrigation scheme,” Badaru noted.