Coordinator Tasks Farmers On Irrigation Projects

The Project Coordinator, Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Programme, Mr Peter Manjuk, has called on farmers to take ownership of all irrigation projects to enable Nigeria to meet its food sufficiency targets.
Manjuk told  newsmen in Abuja recently, that it was important for the country to also reduce its absolute dependency on rain-fed agriculture.
He said that, as the country’s population expanded, deliberate efforts should be made to revamp the River Basins Development Authorities (RBDAs), across the country.
The project coordinator said that the RBDAs would serve as the vehicles for the socio-economic development of the nation.
According to him, Nigeria must get it right, if it must meet its food production and food security demands.
Manjuk expressed regret that the huge investments in dams and irrigation projects had yet to achieve any meaningful socio-economic impact on the citizenry.
”Nigeria’s population is fast growing, in order to ensure food sufficiency and food security, we cannot continue with rain-fed agriculture which has characterised our agricultural practice in the country.
”The contribution of irrigated agriculture has been very little and with our fast growing population, we cannot sustain ourselves in terms of food sufficiency and food security.
”We must revamp our irrigated agricultural practice and make it work in order to support our population and even to allow us to export produce.