President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a national emergency on food security and called on African countries to come up with new strategies to solve the continent’s problems with irrigation and water management.
According to Naija News reports, the president made this declaration on Monday during the opening of the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage held in Abuja. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, represented him at the event.
Tinubu said solving issues related to irrigation and water use is key to achieving long-term agricultural success and economic stability in Africa.
“Africa continues to face major challenges in unlocking its irrigation potential due to inadequate infrastructure, financial constraints, climate change, and governance issues,” he said. He described the conference’s theme, “Tackling Irrigation Development and Water Management Crisis in Africa,” as a call to action, urging participants to work collectively towards solutions.
Speaking on Nigeria’s own potential, Tinubu noted that the country has more than 3.1 million hectares of land suitable for irrigation, especially around major rivers like the Niger and Benue.
He added that Nigeria needs to improve irrigation systems and involve more people in managing water resources to ensure food security.
Also speaking at the conference, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said that Nigeria’s Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project had made notable progress.
He explained that a new project called the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) would build on TRIMING’s results and fix remaining issues to increase the economic benefits of the country’s water resources.
“The TRIMING project, which lasted over seven years, led to the completion of the Dadin-Kowa and Bakolori irrigation schemes and nearly completed the Middle Rima Valley irrigation project,” Utsev explained. The project also helped develop Water Users Associations (WUAs), supported market linkages for crops like rice and tomato, and encouraged private sector investment through River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs).
Utsev also spoke about the 2025 Flood Outlook and Risk Management Strategy, which is designed to reduce the effects of flooding on farming.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Wilson-Jack, urged all levels of government to recommit to ensuring food security in the country.
Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Godknows Igali, also stressed the importance of careful planning, especially as Nigeria’s population keeps increasing. He highlighted the need to properly manage the nation’s river basins.
