Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has disclosed that the country has over 200 dams across the country, adding that the reservoirs are impounded for the purposes of water supply, irrigation, hydropower, flood control, fishery and tourism in line with global practices.
The government further explained that each of the reservoir is expected to maintain a healthy ecosystem downstream through mandatory releases and regulate water level during high flow.
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, disclosed this in Abuja, as part of the celebration of the 2018 World Water Day.
Adamu revealed that the National Water Resources Master Plan (NWRMP), which gives high priority to the implementation of a series of large, medium and small dams projects in the country, has been finalised.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ibrahim Musa, Adamu said the ministry has also designed and implemented programmes and projects to address the issue of inadequate irrigation, water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
He said part of the ministry’s objectives is to ensure significant reduction in total dependency on rain-fed agriculture which led the government to launch the TRIMMING project, in collaboration with the World Bank, to rehabilitate and expand 50,000 hectares of irrigation areas under the Hadejia Jama’are, Sokoto-Rima and Upper Benue River Basin Development Authorities.
He said: “Some irrigation schemes have been identified, namely Kano River, Hadejia Valley, Bakolori and Dandikowa irrigation schemes.
“Studies and designs have been completed on some of the identified schemes while construction activities are already underway in Dandikowa and Bakolori irrigation schemes.
“These pilot projects will be expanded to all regions of the country and in no distant future, all year irrigation agriculture in all parts of the country will be possible.”