From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority (UBRBDA) has announced that the completion of the Dadin Kowa irrigation scheme under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project marks a significant step toward Nigeria’s food security.
Ahmed Bekaji, UBRBDA’s Area Manager for Gombe State, shared this during a media interaction, stating the scheme in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area is now operational and set to transform agricultural productivity.
Bekaji noted that the project, completed in 2024, enables year-round farming, with its water supply component operational since 2008, hydropower since 2021, and irrigation systems currently under testing.
“The water from Dadin Kowa will irrigate by gravity 2,100 hectares, with plans to expand to 3,100 hectares under pumping operations,” he said, noting all 2,100 hectares have been allocated to farmers. The scheme supports crops like rice, maize, vegetables, and wheat through canals and water distribution systems.
While the project is a milestone, Bekaji cautioned it alone cannot ensure food security. “One project like this will block a gap, but we need many more Dadin Kowa projects and to focus on value addition,” he said, emphasising the need for processing agricultural produce to create derivatives and strengthen value chains.
The Dadin Kowa Dam, with a 2.8 billion cubic meter reservoir, supports irrigation, hydropower (40 MW), and water supply (30,000 cubic meters daily to Gombe). The TRIMING Project, funded by the World Bank, has modernised irrigation infrastructure, aiming to reduce poverty and enhance food production.