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 1st March 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 sustainable 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.

According to Halilu “this Federal Government initiative rests on four components for its sustainability which include: first the deployment of centralized NASENI irrigation systems to support farming clusters in the participating communities, Second is the provision of input-enhanced seeds and fertilizers including technical support to the participating farmers to complement the provision of irrigation equipment, third is the specialized nature of the commercial model, aimed at ensuring commercial viability and long-term sustainability, and lastly Irrigate Nigeria Project will be run on commercial basis, but with every care taken to ensure that this does not burden the participating farmers unnecessarily”

To this end according to NASENI’s chief executive “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 stabilize commodity prices and also made available for institutional sale for export, and finally it has the objective of ensuring that Nigeria’s farmers are able to farm throughout the year regardless of the availability of rains while increasing the quantity and quality of harvests”

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 is about food security, economic empowerment, and national stability. 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”

According to Bauchi state Governor, the irrigate Nigeria initiative is a new Model for agricultural excellence, capable of leading to sustainable growth and development of the agricultural sector. “The Irrigate Nigeria Project, if implemented as designed, will have a multiplier effect across the agricultural value chain, both vertically and horizontally. It will drive knowledge transfer, introduce advanced technologies, and distribute wealth equitably ensuring that even the most vulnerable members of our society benefit from this transformation. This is the kind of structured agricultural intervention which Nigeria needs, one that prioritizes inclusivity, accountability, and long-term economic impact”, the Governor said.

Dr Mohammed Dahiru who is the Chairman Presidential Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) said at the occasion that the Irrigate Nigeria Project was designed essentially on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in order to sustain the initiative beyond its take off, and to make it run on business principles and yet not leaving the farm households nationwide behind in the overall aim of developing the whole agriculture eco-system of the country.

He said unlike similar initiatives in the past which received funding 100 percent from government or development partners and yet failed, the Irrigate Nigeria project was conceived and funded at the outset extensively on PPP basis to drive sustainability.

According to Dahiru, “no private sector puts funds into any investment and allows it to fail or go to sleep. The private sector’s mindset primarily is that anything that is worth investing in must be nurtured to succeed, which is not always the case with fully government funded projects.”

The weekend’s take-off of the Irrigate Nigeria Project in Gamawa, Bauchi State is the first phase of the Launch. The exercise will be replicated in other parts of the country by NASENI under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF).

•PHOTO: From left to right; Emir of Misau, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman; the Emir of Bauchi, Dr. Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu; the Governor of Bauchi State, Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu; and lastly, the Emir of Katagum, Alhaji Umar Faruk in a group photo at the Launching of the Irrigate Nigeria Project in Gamawa local government area, Bauchi State on Saturday, 1st March, 2025.