Yemi Obafemi
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched Irrigate Nigeria Project in Bauchi State to boost Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The Federal Government’s Irrigate Nigeria Project, amongst other things, targets increase in income of Nigeria’s farmers nationwide.
The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu made this statement on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Gamawa, Bauchi State, during the official launch of the Irrigate Nigeria program.
According to NASENI boss, the programme is jointly implemented by NASENI and the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF) and also has the participation of private sector at the core of its operations and it’s in line with President Tinubu’s commitment to fully empower and enable Nigeria’s private sector with farmers to develop the Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The CEO said the goal of Irrigate Nigeria, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is to revolutionize Nigeria’s agriculture sector. This will be achieved by providing sustainable irrigation systems, enabling farmers to farm year-round, which will in turn boost productivity and reduce food prices.¹
Beginning with this pilot phase, Halilu explained that the irrigate Nigeria Project kicked-off on a 10-hectare land in Gamawa Local Government of Bauchi State under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) built on a large scale farming basis for the purpose of sustainability and more production.
In a statement signed by Director of Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, the CEO explained that the Federal Government’s initiative has four key components to ensure its sustainability.
“First the deployment of centralized NASENI irrigation systems to support farming clusters in the participating communities.
“ Second is the provision of input-enhanced seeds and fertilizers including technical support to the participating farmers to complement the provision of irrigation equipment.
“Third is the specialized nature of the commercial model, aimed at ensuring commercial viability and long-term sustainability, and lastly Irrigate Nigeria Project will be run on commercial basis, but with every care taken to ensure that this does not burden the participating farmers unnecessarily”.
NASENI’s chief executive further outlined a repayment plan for farmers who receive support, where they’ll repay in kind with a portion of their harvest.
“The repayments by farmers for the support being provided will be in the form of convenient portions of their harvests, like rice paddy. These repayments will be pooled into a strategic food reserve that will help to stabilize commodity prices and also made available for institutional sale for export, and finally it has the objective of ensuring that Nigeria’s farmers are able to farm throughout the year regardless of the availability of rains while increasing the quantity and quality of harvests,” he added.
Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, thanked the Federal Government for selecting Gamawa Local Government Area as the first beneficiary of the Irrigate Nigeria initiative.
He said “What the Federal Government is doing today in Gamawa is the fulfillment of the essence of governance, that is to create an enabling environment, and it is a plus for President Tinubu or the Federal government.
“This project is more than just about farming; it is about food security, economic empowerment, and national stability. It aligns perfectly with Bauchi State Government’s broader goals of expanding irrigation farming, reducing dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and promoting sustainable agricultural infrastructure”.
He said unlike similar initiatives in the past which received funding 100 percent from government or development partners and yet failed, the Irrigate Nigeria project was conceived and funded at the outset extensively on PPP basis to drive sustainability.
According to Dahiru, “no private sector puts funds into any investment and allows it to fail or go to sleep. The private sector’s mindset primarily is that anything that is worth investing in must be nurtured to succeed, which is not always the case with fully government funded projects.”
“The weekend’s take-off of the Irrigate Nigeria Project in Gamawa, Bauchi State is the first phase of the Launch. The exercise will be replicated in other parts of the country by NASENI under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF),” the statement added.
