From Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja
Federal Government has promised to build 10 earth dams in 36 states and Abuja from next year, in a bid to boost irrigation and guarantee all-year farming.
Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who revealed this in Abuja, said the agricultural sector is desperately in need of water to achieve food security as well as the provision of water for animals.
According to him, “we need to irrigate the land. We need to feed our animals. We need to store water for other uses. Bees need water to pollinate our plants. We have projects coming up next year called CODET 10/37, where we intend to build a minimum of 10 earth dams in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“We are looking at a situation where, whether it rains or it does not rain, we can continue to produce food because if we don’t, as our population keeps on increasing, we will face serious food crisis.”
While underscoring the indispensability of food and water, Ogbeh also said: “If the world is going to witness another World War, the cause of the war will either be lack of water or food.”
To this end, the minister pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Water Resources and other relevant agencies to improve irrigation across the country.
Also speaking, the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, said though Nigeria was blessed with 3.12 million hectares of potential irrigable land, less than 10 per cent had been fully developed and being utilised.