From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Professor Joseph Utsev has reaffirmed his commitment to securing food, water, and energy security through the use of the irrigate Nigeria project.
Professor Utsev made this known at the inauguration of the project steering committee on sustainable power project and irrigation in Nigeria, SPIN, in Abuja
The minister explained that Nigeria can achieve the vision of having an estimated 500,000 irrigated agriculture, 30 Gigawatts of sustainable energy and improved resilience to floods, droughts, and climate change with the project.
He added that the TRIMING Project is pioneered transformative management initiatives and introduced the training and empowerment of the Water User Associations (WUAs) to participate in the Management, Operations, and Maintenance of the irrigation schemes.
“The project recorded a remarkable success story, as the Management Operation and Maintenance model was used by the WUAs to rehabilitate about 32,000 ha of large-scale irrigation schemes, which significantly enhanced food production and created positive impacts on the livelihood of especially rural farmers.
According to him, the Federal Government, in an attempt to build on the results achieved under the TRIMING Project, strategically designed the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project in collaboration with the World Bank Group, which is supported by a loan facility of USD 500 million.
“The project seeks to address critical national priorities in the areas of water resources management, irrigation development, and hydropower generation through an integrated and multi-sectoral approach involving stakeholders at both the Federal and State levels under two models (Model 1 and Model 2)”
“The project has four (4) key components, which are patterned to enhance national capacity to facilitate the delivery of large-scale, multi-purpose infrastructure for irrigation and hydropower, while ensuring sustainable water governance. These components include: (i) Institutional Strengthening (ii) Irrigation Modernization (iii) Dam Safety and Operational Improvements, and (iv) Effective Project Management” he added.
In his presentation the Minister of Agriculture and food security, Senator Abubakar Kyari stressed that Nigeria can only be self sufficient in food and energy if there is interministerial collaboration.
“I commend SPIN for it wonderful work in the Nigeria’s Agricultural landscape and I urged stakeholders to partner to make Nigeria both sufficient in power and food security.
Speaking Earlier, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mahmoud Mamman Pledged to provide project frame work that will attract private sectors investment for the development of hydropower plants which aligned with Mr president’s renewed hope agenda.
He reaffirmed the ministry of power commitment in the successful implementation of the SPIN project
In his welcome address, the permanent secretary of water resources and sanitation, Mr Richard Pheelangwah said the project tends to leverage on the results achieved under the Transforming Irrigation in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project.
He added that having gained reasonable experience on the project being rounded up, much will be achieved under the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project.
He pointed that SPIN Project embodies a significant convergence of national priorities of Agriculture, Water, and Energy security into a unified and integrated platform for development.
“With the valued support of the World Bank and active participation of State Governments, this project aims to unlock Nigeria’s substantial irrigation potential, modernize our vital water infrastructure, and enhance the resilience of our communities to environmental changes,,he said