Food sufficiency remains FG’s priority – Minister

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr Joseph Utsev, says food sufficiency in Nigeria remains a priority of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Utsev said this on Wednesday while on an assessment tour of the solarisation of the Centre Pivot Irrigation Unit of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Project, Iseyin, Oyo State.

According to the minister, the mandate of food production, creating jobs and enhancing the country’s economy is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president.

He emphasised the commitment of the Federal Government (FG) to the provision of necessary facilities that would enhance food productivity.

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He said the ongoing solarisation of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Unit and the connection of the centre to the national electric power grid were parts of efforts to encourage irrigation farming.

“The Middle Ogun Irrigation project started in 1990, and the aim of the project was to put about 12,000 hectares of land into production.

“When the project started, it was to use diesel for its power generating plants but now we are changing the diesel method of powering our irrigation facilities to solar and the national grid power because of the high cost of diesel and other reasons,” he said.

The minister revealed that the connection of the centre to the national grid had reached 95 per cent completion, while the solarisation project had reached a completion stage of 85 per cent.

“From what we have seen now, we are okay that the ongoing procurement process will be able to complete the projects.

“More so, the rehabilitation of all other irrigation facilities will commence soon, and the centre will be fully operational in the next two to three years.

“So, all the 12,000 hectares of land we envisaged to put into production will be activated,” he said

Alhaji Dauda Ademola, Chairman of Middle Ogun Irrigation Project Farmers Association, Iseyin, appreciated the FG for ongoing projects at the centre.

Ademola urged the government to put in more interest in ensuring the speedy completion of the projects and other facilities that would enhance irrigation farming.