Minister of Water Resources, Engineer
Suleiman Adamu, has flagged-off the Graduate in Irrigated Agricultural Scheme
(GIAS), at Ogoja irrigation project, of the Cross River Basin Development
Authority. Cross
River Basin Development Authority, Ogoja Irrigation project became the fifth
(GIAS) program among the 12 pilot projects expected to be launch in 2016; an
initiative whereby participant in batches of 50, will be trained in various
agricultural activities including crop farming, aquaculture, dairy and other
sustainable agriculture activities.
Speaking
at the flag-off exercise on Tuesday, Engr Adamu, said, “President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration is a complete overhaul of the structure of our economy
which has largely been dependent on crude oil for decades by largely
diversifying from single export commodity to more productive activities,
notably agriculture, solid minerals development and a sound industrial base.
He said,
the Federal Ministry of Water resources wass committed to reenergizing the
RBDA’s to fully support the federal government noble objectives in exploiting
lands and water resources to achieve food security and return Nigeria to
economy prosperity.
According
to him, “Agriculture in particular has
the potential not only to boost our ability to feed ourselves, but to provide
the enormous opportunity to create jobs for teeming young population.
“The scheme mirrors the Songhai irrigated
farm model and is in fact to be implemented under the supervision professor
Godfery Nzamujo Songhai model champion, with whom an MOU has been signed by the
12 RBDAs.
“Under the 2016-2030, approve water road map
of the ministry, we intend to further develop our irrigation potential to
500,000 Ha through direct government intervention and to facilitate the
development of another 1million Ha, by large scale commercial farms
through community public private partnership (CPPP).
“A significant portion of the irrigable land
will also be made available to unemployed youths who are interested in
agricultural entrepreneurship.”
Managing
Director, Cross River Basin Development Authority, Mrs. Eta Eyo Ita, said Ogoja
community known for swarm rice farming but the major challenge had been
milling, dis-stoning and proper packaging of the rice, and consequently farmers
travel as far as Abakaliki in Ebonyi for milling.
She said,
that, CRBDA’s was poised to address the challenge by setting up to 15-20 tons
per day rice processing mill here at Ogoja irrigation project, which
would be managed through public private partnership with graduate youth under
the empowerment scheme.
According
to her, the authority was extending the youth empowerment by collaborating with
NYSC and other private stakeholders in the state, training corps members and
unemployed youths in fisheries, bottle water production, and farm management.
The Ogoja
irrigated project is a legacy project of the authority conceived in the 80’s
and developed mainly by direct labour over the years to the stage it is today.
The project has an area of 168ha and is designed for 125ha of irrigated
agriculture.
The
project has 211 farmers and nine multipurpose cooperative societies. Its source
of water supply in Aya River and the water is pump from the river into 1650
cubic meter reservoir and distributed, via a network of main field canal into
the field by siphons.
