The over 20 years abandoned water project in Kano and Jigawa states under the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) is set to be completed.
Consequently, over 2000 hectres of land has already been cleared for farming.
The minister of water resources, Suleiman Adamu who handed over four of the eight Gari irrigation project in Kano and jigawa states on Thursday said thousands of farmers will have the opportunity to farm at least three times in a year from the area.
Adamu in an address said the Gari irrigation project covers approximately 2,114 hectares, saying the project is being supplied with water from Gari and Marke dams in the north-eastern part of kunchi local government area of Kano state.
The minister explained that the irrigation and drainage infrastructure falls within five local government areas of Kazaure, Roni, kunchi, Dambatta and Makoda.
He said the project was first initiated by the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) in 1997, explaining that the scope of the project was to develop 2,114 hectares of irrigation farmland in both Kano and jigawa states.
He said the irrigation work suffered 20 years neglect due to lack of funding, thereby causing the completed parts to deteriorate.
The minister said “a technical audit was set up in May 2016 that resolved to complete all water resources projects across the country in line with the policy direction of the Buhari administration”.
He said “with the takeover of sector 4, another 289 hectares with about 1,472 benefitting farmers have been added to the project, contributing to the president’s vision towards diversifying the nation’s economy and creating significant welfare improvement for the citizens by empowering and bring one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years”.
Earlier, the Emir of Kazaure Alhaji Najeeb Hussain Adamu charged the youths of the area to utilize the available irrigation lands and develop themselves against dependance on handouts from politicians.
Also speaking, the state governor, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru Abubakar commended the Federal government for the project.
Badaru noted that all already over 6, 000 hectares of irrigation land has been developed and is currently cultivating no less than 150,000 tonnes of rice every year.
