In a strategic effort to enhance food security, the Anambra State government has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with the federal government to reactivate existing dams to support irrigation farming in the state. This initiative is part of the “Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria” (SPIN) project, which aims to boost agricultural production.
A six-member preparatory team from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority has engaged in discussions with the state government to move the project forward.
During the engagement meeting held in Awka, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, assured that the state government would take necessary steps to ensure the people of Anambra benefit from the project. He expressed the state’s readiness to support the five-year initiative, which focuses on revitalizing identified federal water sources or dams for crop production, particularly rice and maize.
State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Forster Ihejiofor, highlighted that the state has sufficient dams in Ogboji, Ufuma, and Ifite Ogwari/Omor that meet the requirements for the SPIN project. These dams, he noted, are crucial for the establishment of year-round irrigation farming.
SPIN Project Leader, Mrs. Stella Arachie, informed the meeting that they were on an assessment tour to identify suitable locations for reactivating a water source or dam in the state. Arachie, who also serves as the Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, outlined the key requirements for the project, including access to a reliable water source during the dry season, land ownership evidence, availability of 500 hectares of land, counterpart funding, and the presence of water users’ associations or cooperatives.
The SPIN project includes components focused on dam safety and irrigation, with a broader goal of conducting studies on hydro power development across the nation.
Following the discussions, the team, accompanied by state officials including Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Uzoka, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources and Power, Ezekwo V.C, conducted on-the-spot assessments of Ogboji and Ifite Ogwari/Omor. These areas were deemed suitable for the project, with Ifite Ogwari’s pumping station already receiving support from the ATAPS-1 project with canals and channels in place.
The engagement meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Water Resources and Power, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka, and the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake.
The assessment tour has given confidence to the team that Anambra State has the potential to support year-round irrigation farming through the SPIN project.
