Food security: Water minister inspects Benue irrigation project

From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has inspected the Makurdi irrigation project under the aegis of the Lower Benue River Basin Authority, and which covers 3000 hectares.

 This is contained in a statement signed by the Director Information and Public Relations of the ministry, Mrs. Funmi Imuetinyan in Abuja.

According to the statement, the minister emphasized that the project highlights the present administration’s commitment to boosting food production through irrigation and dry-season farming to achieve food security in the country.

It revealed that 3,000 hectares of land have been allocated for dry-season farming, with 1,200 hectares specifically designated for irrigation purposes, while the remaining 1,800 hectares will be used for the World Bank Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) project.

To support these efforts, the government has awarded contracts for the construction of irrigation channels, drip irrigation systems, and the expansion of existing irrigation farms.

The statement added that the ministry was also working on activating the hydropower components of various dams across Nigeria to boost energy supply. It noted that the ongoing work at the Otukpo multipurpose water dam has reached an advanced stage and would be completed this year.