…As FG Targets Increased Income for Farmers
The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu has disclosed that the Federal Government’s Irrigate Nigeria Project, amongst other things, targets increase in income of Nigeria’s farmers nationwide, even as the formal launch of the initiative took place at the weekend in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State. Improved irrigation, according to NASENI EVC/CEO, “helps farmers to extend the number of farming rounds made possible in a year for each farming household. And this means a rise in income for farmers as farming activities increased all through the dry season”.
Speaking on Saturday, March 1, 2025 in Gamawa, Bauchi State at the formal launch of the programme, the chief executive of NASENI said the goal of Irrigate Nigeria under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu administration essentially includes the transformation of entire Nigeria’s agriculture sector through provision of NASENIsustainable irrigation systems that empower farmers to achieve year-round farming, and by extension increased productivity and reduced food prices.
He said amongst other things; the programme is jointly being implemented by NASENI and the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF) and also has the participation of private sector at the core of its operations and it’s in line with President Tinubu’s commitment to fully empower and enable Nigeria’s private sector with farmers to develop the Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Beginning with this pilot phase, Halilu explained that the irrigate Nigeria Project kicked-off on a 10-hectare land in Gamawa Local Government of Bauchi State under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) built on a large-scale farming basis for the purpose of sustainability and more production.
The Governor of the host state for kick off of the nationwide programme, Bauchi State, Alhaji Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for choosing Gamawa Local Government Area, as the first state to benefit from irrigate Nigeria initiative.
He said “What the Federal Government is doing today in Gamawa is the fulfillment of the essence of governance, that is to create an enabling environment, and it is a plus for President Tinubu or the Federal government. This project is more than just about farming; It aligns perfectly with Bauchi State Government’s broader goals of expanding irrigation farming, reducing dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and promoting sustainable agricultural infrastructure”