The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, has handed over seven completed irrigation sectors to farmers under the Kano Irrigation Scheme (KRIS).
The Minister, in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs Kenechukwu Offie, performed the handing over ceremony at Garun Malam Local Government Area, in Kano.
KRIS is under the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority catchment area.
Adamu said that KRIS was one of the five existing irrigation schemes being rehabilitated by the Ministry under the Transformation Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project.
He said 14 sectors covering an area of 2,023 hectares had been completed and handed over to the farmers while the seven newly completed sectors covered 3,167 hectares.
“As part of the transformation effort of the Ministry through the TRIMING Project, technical assistance programmes have been employed by the project to train farmers and farmers associations.
“Those trained also include; River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) personnel on effective operation and irrigation systems as well as modern agricultural best practices,” Adamu said.
The Minister expressed optimism that RBDAs would ensure that farmers and water user associations took their new responsibilities with dedication.
This, he noted would be by keeping the canal, drains, roads, culverts and other structures handed over to them in good conditions at all times to justify the expenditure of time and financial resources.
Adamu said the entire TRIMING Project was an experimental exercise by the Ministry which was planned to be rolled out to other RBDAs across the Federation.
He urged contractors to work harder to ensure that the remaining sectors were delivered on or before the agreed time.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director, Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Mallam Da’u Aliyu, stated that the KRIS was one of the largest and most successful irrigation schemes in Nigeria.
According to Aliyu, it is located in Bunkure, Kura and Garun Malam Local Government areas of Kano State with a project office at Kura.
He said that the occasion would remain memorable in the history of KRIS and the people of Kano State, saying it was a milestone in the transformation of the irrigation (TRIMING) sub-sector in the country.
Aliyu assured the Minister that the management of the river basin, the entire staff and project levels were working together with the TRIMMING Project teams to make the goal of integrated and participatory management of irigation resources a reality.
On his part, the National Coordinator, TRIMING Project, Mr Peter Manjuk, said half of the projects had been completed.
Manjuk who said it was a milestone, commended the Minister and President Muhammadu Buhari for their support. (NAN)
