President Bola Tinubu has declared a national emergency on food security, urging expanded irrigation infrastructure and participatory water resource management nationwide.
Tinubu made the declaration while opening the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage in Abuja on Monday, April 14, 2025.
The president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, urged African nations to adopt innovative strategies in addressing the continent’s irrigation and water management challenges.
He described the conference theme, “Tackling Irrigation Development and Water Management Crisis in Africa”, as a clarion call to action for sustainable agriculture and economic resilience.
Tinubu stated: “Africa continues to face major challenges in unlocking its irrigation potential due to inadequate infrastructure, financial constraints, climate change, and governance issues.
“This conference offers a vital platform for us to collectively chart a path forward.”
Tinubu noted that Nigeria has more than 3.1 million hectares of irrigable land located around key river basins such as the River Niger and Benue.
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Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the government had completed several landmark initiatives under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project.
Utsev announced that its successor, the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) project, would address outstanding gaps while optimising the economic value of water resources to support food security.
The minister stated: “With the TRIMING project winding down, Nigeria is poised to begin implementation of the SPIN project in partnership with the World Bank.
“This initiative will consolidate on the successes of TRIMING and expand our irrigation potential.”
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