The Federal Government has revealed its plan to appropriate more funds for the development of irrigation infrastructure in the 2017 budget.
Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, who stated this in Ogoja at the take-off of the youth and graduate empowerment scheme, said the government was committed to overhaul the structure of the economy, which had largely been dependant on crude oil for decades.
The minister stated that the River Basin Development Authorities in the country are being re-energised so as to fully support the Federal Government’s noble objective of fully exploiting the land and water resources to achieve food security and return the country to economic prosperity.
He said the scheme would be extended to all the 109 senatorial districts nationwide and would also be reflective of the Songhai integrated farm model.
Adamu further noted that the ministry had developed a quick-win interventions plan with the objectives of restoring the mandate of building institutional capacity, and maximising operation and output of the river basins and creating jobs opportunities through irrigation farming.
Meanwhile, Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade said the state government would continue to assist and empower the youths and graduate farmers in the state with a view to achieving their potentials in agriculture as a way out of graduate unemployment and youths’ restiveness.
Ayade said the state government had completed plans to reactivate the Banzara Rice Mill to assist rice farmers in the processing of their yields. He said he was impressed at the giant strides of the Cross River Basin Development Authority, especially in the area of irrigation, fish farming and the management of the water resources in the state.
