World Bank to commit $500m to Northern Nigeria’s irrigation projects

The World Bank has earmarked $500 million for the revival of irrigation farming in Northern Nigeria through the rehabilitation of infrastructure in all parts of the region Kano State Governor, Dr Abdulahi Umar Ganduje confirmed this when he played host to the Task Team leader of the World Bank Assisted Commercial Agriculture Development Project, Dr. El- Hadj Adama Toure, in his office.

The governor lauded the Breton Woods institution for the intervention which he described as desirable in view of the potential benefits to Northern region’s economy and by extension, the nation’s development. Gov Ganduje promised that his administration would sustain its collaboration with the World Bank as a strategic option for promoting commercialization of agriculture in the state.

He explained that in spite of the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account, his administration would embrace and promote commercial agriculture on a sustainable manner while also assuring that the state government would provide its counterpart funds for the project soon.

“We must come back to the drawing board, we must till the soil and get what is coming out from the soil which is more reliable, more dependable and more sustainable”, he said. The Governor, described the Commercial Agriculture Development Project as timely in view of the importance of agriculture as the mainstay of the state’s economy and the Federal government’s plan to ban the importation of rice and wheat importation into the country.

Earlier, the Task Team leader told the governor that, Nigeria’s Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) was designed in 2009 to strengthen agricultural production systems and facilitate access to markets for eight agricultural value chains in five pilot states.

He disclosed that $150 million intervention fund would impact on 50,000 small and medium commercial farmers in five Nigerian states including, Kano, while many households will benefit indirectly through farm access roads, energy and market spillover effects.