Hundreds of farmers and water users have been trained and engaged by Hadejia-Jama’are River Basing Development Authority for effective maintenance and protection of multi Millions dollars irrigation facilities in Kano and Jigawa states.
The Managing Director, Alhaji Ma’amun Da’u Aliyu stated this while fielding questions from newsmen on arrangements to ensure effective maintenance of the irrigation facilities under the authority after the ongoing rehabilitation of the Scheme.
He said Federal government in collaboration with World Bank embarked on rehabilitation of the irrigation scheme under Hadejia Jamare and other three River Basing Development Authority in Northern Nigeria.
According to him, Under the Project known as Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria TRIMIN carried out by the Federal Government and World Bank there are component for training and capacity building of farmers to enable them take part in maintenance of the irrigation facilities.
Alhaji Ma’amun Da’u Aliyu said, after the TRIMIN project farmers would take ownership for maintenance of all primary Irrigation Facilities and Water ways, while federal government to take care of the secondary facilities that include Dams, Rivers and Main Canals.
He further explained that, by September this year, Hadejia Jamare River Basin Authority was expected to take delivery of Heavy Duty Machine that would be use for desilting, regular clearance and dragging of the river Hadejia to help increase water flow.
The Managing director said the machine would also address the perennial flooding that kill people, destroy farmland and properties worth billions of Naira annually in the affected areas.
Cov/Usman Mohd Zaria, Jigawa