FG Commits To Enhancing Water, Food, Energy Security

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing food, water, and energy security through the “Irrigate Nigeria” initiative.

Professor Utsev stated this at the inauguration of the project steering committee on sustainable power project and irrigation in Nigeria, SPIN, in Abuja.

The minister explained that Nigeria can achieve the vision of having an estimated 500,000 irrigated agriculture, 30 gigawatts of sustainable energy and improved resilience to floods, droughts, and climate change with the project.

He noted that the TRIMING Project had already introduced transformative reforms, including the establishment and training of Water User Associations (WUAs) to manage, operate, and maintain irrigation infrastructure.

Professor Utsev emphasized that the project targets the development of 500,000 hectares of irrigated farmland, the generation of 30 Gigawatts of sustainable energy, and enhanced resilience against climate-related challenges such as floods and droughts.

According to him, the Federal Government, in an attempt to build on the results achieved under the TRIMING Project, strategically designed the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project in collaboration with the World Bank Group, which is supported by a loan facility of USD 500 million.

“The project seeks to address critical national priorities in the areas of water resources management, irrigation development, and hydropower generation through an integrated and multi-sectoral approach involving stakeholders at both the Federal and State levels under two models (Model 1 and Model 2)”

“The project has four (4) key components, which are patterned to enhance national capacity to facilitate the delivery of large-scale, multi-purpose infrastructure for irrigation and hydropower, while ensuring sustainable water governance. These components include: (i) Institutional Strengthening (ii) Irrigation Modernization (iii) Dam Safety and Operational Improvements, and (iv) Effective Project Management” he added.

In his presentation the Minister of Agriculture and food security, Senator Abubakar Kyari stressed that Nigeria can only be self sufficient in food and energy if there is interministerial collaboration.

“I commend SPIN for its wonderful work in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and I urged stakeholders to partner to make Nigeria both sufficient in power and food security”.

Speaking Earlier, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mahmoud Mamman pledged to provide a project frame work that will attract private sector investment for development of hydropower plants which aligned with Mr president’s renewed hope agenda.

He reaffirmed commitment of the Ministry of Power in the successful implementation of the SPIN project.

In his welcome address, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr Richard Pheelangwah, said the project tends to leverage on the results achieved under the Transforming Irrigation in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project.

He added that having gained reasonable experience on the project being rounded up, much will be achieved under the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project.

He pointed out that the SPIN Project embodies a significant convergence of national priorities of agriculture, water, and energy security into a unified and integrated platform for development.

“With the valued support of the World Bank and active participation of State Governments, this project aims to unlock Nigeria’s substantial irrigation potential, modernize our vital water infrastructure, and enhance the resilience of our communities to environmental changes,, he added.

Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji