Kano state government has said it will soon commence the rehabilitation of 20 dams located across the state to ensure effective utilisation.

According to the State Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Alhaji Usman Ririwai, who disclosed this yesterday in Kano, the decision to rehabilitate the dams was part of the state irrigation master plan designed to enhance food production.

Ririwai explained that rehabilitating the dams was necessary since only 40 per cent of irrigable land around the site of the 20 dams were currently being utilised for irrigation purpose.

“Our investigation has shown that only 40 per cent of irrigable land around the dams is being used by the communities for irrigation. So the government finds it necessary to fill the gap in order to encourage our people to embrace dry season farming” he said.

The commissioner said that the government would encourage farmers to produce maize, rice, wheat, sugarcane, vegetables and other cash crops at the various irrigation sites in the state.

“We want to use agriculture for economic development because we cannot continue to depend on the importation of such commodities” Ririwai said.