Bolanle Akanji
Moderator
The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, said the Federal Government would intensify the development of the nation's irrigation facilities in order to increase agricultural production.
She revealed this at the 22nd National Council on Water in Kaduna with the theme ``Cooperation and Partnership Building Toward Sustainable Water Resources Development in Nigeria’’.
She said irrigation is the key to the attainment of food security because it has the potential of increasing the country's agricultural production. Nigeria currently has the irrigation potential of about 3.1 million hectares out of which only 150,000 hectares have been developed.
``However, there is a renewed effort by this administration to accelerate the rate of irrigation development in the country,’’ she said.
The move would enhance food security, employment generation, poverty alleviation and reduce rural-urban migration.
She urged states, local governments and private individuals to collaborate with the Federal Government in order to develop the irrigation infrastructure.
Ochekpe said the World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recognises the importance of irrigation and has agreed to rehabilitate and complete existing irrigation facilities in the country.
She revealed this at the 22nd National Council on Water in Kaduna with the theme ``Cooperation and Partnership Building Toward Sustainable Water Resources Development in Nigeria’’.
She said irrigation is the key to the attainment of food security because it has the potential of increasing the country's agricultural production. Nigeria currently has the irrigation potential of about 3.1 million hectares out of which only 150,000 hectares have been developed.
``However, there is a renewed effort by this administration to accelerate the rate of irrigation development in the country,’’ she said.
The move would enhance food security, employment generation, poverty alleviation and reduce rural-urban migration.
She urged states, local governments and private individuals to collaborate with the Federal Government in order to develop the irrigation infrastructure.
Ochekpe said the World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recognises the importance of irrigation and has agreed to rehabilitate and complete existing irrigation facilities in the country.
