President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday inaugurated the 5,700 hectares Hadejia Valley Irrigation Scheme in Auyo, Jigawa State, to boost food security in the country.
“The project, which covered over 5,700 hectares of irrigable farms, will significantly contribute to our quest for food security, job creation, economic diversification and the attainment of our objectives of none oil dependent economy,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president laid the foundation of the project in 2018.
The project, designed for rice farming, was executed under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING), supported by the World Bank.
TRIMING is a special intervention scheme of the Federal Government aimed at promoting sustainable irrigation in the country.
Buhari urged the host community to take advantage of the opportunities provided by gigantic irrigation infrastructure to enhance their livelihood.
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“It will be a small part in our overall quest to uplift one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years,” the president added.
He urged the Jigawa government to sustain its commitment in agriculture, saying he has heard the success story of its cluster farming system.
Buhari commended Gov. Badaru Abubakar for the achievements recorded in the last seven years, adding that he was amazed by the number of projects executed by the governor across all sectors.
Buhari sympathised with victims of flood disaster in different communities of Auyo, Miga, Kafin Hausa, Kiyawa, Jahun, Birnin Kudu, Dutse and other parts of the state.
The president promised to provide additional relief support for the victims through the National Committee on Flood set up by the Federal Government.
“Today I was able to personally see the extent of the damages while flying from Auyo, Kafin Hausa, Jahun, some parts of Miga, Kiyawa, Dutse and Birnin kudu Local Government Areas of the state,” he said.
The president also inaugurated the Malam Alu Ago Allied Company and Tallest Flag in Nigeria in Birnin Kudu.
He urged Nigerians to use technology to drive agricultural production and other sectors of the economy.
“Technology is something that will solve a lot of our problems; use your heads more, your initiative and use technology and I believe with determination, you will all succeed,” he added.
Earlier, Badaru attributed the huge infrastructure development in the state to the support received from the president.
He said President Buhari’s administration provided several intervention funds without which the achievements recorded would not be realised.
He also commended the president for completing several projects he inherited across the country, some of which were abandoned for more than two decades.
Also speaking, Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, thanked the president for releasing billions of naira which enabled the ministry to undertake various irrigation and water projects nationwide.
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