By Abdallah el-Kurebe

Sokoto government said it is partnering with the Federal Government and the World Bank to develop large scale irrigation scheme in the state.

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who stated this during a visit by a team from the partner agencies to Sokoto Government House, said the scheme, tagged Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMM), will support and improve agricultural productivity through strengthened institutional arrangement and improved access to irrigation drainage services.

He said the scheme will also complement existing major agricultural initiatives and focuses on improving large-scale public irrigation in Sokoto and some selected states in the North.

“We have so far committed a total of N4.9b for the reclamation of farms in the Kware Irrigation Scheme. Our government will commit about N460m while our partners will provide the rest. The Kware irrigation scheme, which will complement TRIMM, involves construction of 175 irrigation water conveyance canals, 120 units of haudraulic structures, 55 kilometres of feeder roads, five units of primary schools, two primary healthcare centres and two comminuty markets.‎

“The target is to enhance agricultural growth and production, provide job opportunities, tackle poverty among the populace and also help in developing rice value chain by boosting local rice milling in our state,” Tambuwal revealed.

In his remarks, TRIMM’s Project Coordinator, Engr Peter Manjok said given the global growing competitiveness in irrigated agricultural production, a window of opportunity was opened to help raise income and reduce poverty in the country.

According to him, the scheme, which will run for seven years, will involve the transfer of tertiary irrigation and drainage facilities to registered operators and Water User Association (WUAs) in affected areas.