Reviving river basins to boost irrigation farming

As Nigeria makes efforts frantic efforts to ensure that agriculture play a key role in its quest for revenue diversification, experts have called for the revival of river basins to boost irrigation farming in the country.

According to them, the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) have failed to effectively and efficiently harness the country’s water resources to boost agricultural productivity through irrigation farming.

 With irrigation farming farmers can farm all year round and this will help boost agricultural productivity thereby ensuring food security for the country.
Most of the basins which supposed to have engendered big plantation farming are operating below their capacities, experts say.

“There is need for public private partnership for effective use of our river basins. Government needs to collaborate with large agricultural associations to ensure that we obtain the full potentials of our river basins,” said AfricaFarmer Mogaji, chief executive officer, X-ray Farms Consulting, in a telephone response to questions.
“Nigerians have really not paid attention to river basins facilities and it is the way to go if we really want to make agriculture a profitable,” Mogaji said.

He also stressed the need for integration between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the River Basin Authorities, stating that the ministry does not identify the RBDAs as part of them.

 The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), quoting report of a working document prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on the ‘Need and Justification of Irrigation Development,’ said a projected population of 238 million was assumed for Nigeria in 2025, and 48 million hectares of potential rain-fed land and at least 2 million to 3.7 million hectares of potential irrigable land.

But recent report shows that only one million hectares of land is under irrigation in Nigeria.

The public-private partnership of the river basins, which experts are advising has the possibility of adding another one million hectares of irrigable land to attain the minimum two million hectares. Therefore, the operational 11 RBDAs with irrigation facilities could further boost the national food output.

The river basins in Nigeria includes upper Benue basin, Lake Chad basin, Benin-Owena basin, Sokoto-Rima Basin, Hadejia-Jema’are basin, Cross River basin, lower Benue basin, upper Niger basin, and lower Niger Basin.

 Others are, Ogun-Oshun basin, Anambra-Imo basin, and Niger Delta basin.