By Sylvester Thompson

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Halilu Khalil, says the Federal Government’s `Irrigate Nigeria project’ (INP), aims to boost farmers’ income nationwide.

Khalil said this in a press statement signed by Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, NASENI’s Director of Information, on Monday in Abuja.

According to Ayeoyenikan, Halilu made the remarks at the formal launch of the INP on Saturday at Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The statement quoted the EVC as saying that improved irrigation “helps farmers extend the number of farming cycles they can complete in a year, thereby increasing their income as farming activities continue throughout the dry season.”

Halilu further stated that the goal of the INP was to transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector by providing sustainable irrigation systems that empowered farmers to engage in year-round farming.

He also revealed that the programme was a joint initiative between NASENI and the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF).

For its sustainability, Halilu explained that the project was built on four key components. One of these includes the deployment of centralised NASENI irrigation systems to support farming clusters in participating communities.

Another key component, he noted, is the provision of input-enhanced seeds, fertilisers, and technical support to farmers to complement the irrigation equipment.

He further mentioned specialised nature of the commercial model, aimed at ensuring commercial viability and long-term sustainability.

He said the last component was to carry out the project on commercial basis, but with every care taken to ensure that this would not burden the participating farmers unnecessarily.

“The repayments by farmers for the support being provided will be in the form of convenient portions of their harvests, like rice paddy.

“These repayments will be pooled into a strategic food reserve that will help to stabilise commodity prices and also make available for institutional sale for export,” Halilu said.

The state governor, Bala Mohammed, was also quoted as saying that the project was a fulfillment of the essence of governance which is to create an enabling environment.

” This project is more than just about farming; it is about food security, economic empowerment, and national stability, ” Mohammed said.

According to the governor, the INP is a new model for agricultural excellence, designed to drive sustainable growth and development in the sector.

Dr Mohammed Dahiru, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), stated that the project was built on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to ensure its long-term sustainability beyond the initial phase.

He added that this approach allowed the initiative to operate on business principles while still prioritising farm households, ensuring their inclusion in the broader goal of developing Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Editing by Kevin Okunzuwa