Horti-Nigeria, a project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands has provided 10 solar powered irrigation pumps to farmers in Kano, Ogun, Kaduna and Oyo states.
Since 2021, the Dutch-funded initiative has been a cornerstone in fostering a sustainable and inclusive horticulture sector, enhancing food and nutrition security across 10 local government areas in the four benefiting states.
The HortiNigeria Program Director, Mohammed Salasi, in a statement to commemorate International Clean Energy Day, noted that the eco-friendly technology is not only a testament to HortiNigeria’s commitment to environmental stewardship but also a practical solution to two critical challenges in agriculture: limited water access and the rising costs of fuel for irrigation.
He stated that with focus on cabbage, cucumber, okro, tomatoes, pepper, carrots, watermelon, sweetcorn value chains, the program had distributed 10 high-capacity solar irrigation pumps and educated over 50,000 farmers in sustainable practices.
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One of the benefitting farmers, Kubura Ali, said they now enjoy the dual benefits of cost-effective and environmentally sustainable irrigation, moving away from the traditional, fuel-dependent methods.“
She mentioned that the solar-powered pumps have revolutionized their farming, reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
The HortiNigeria program to span from 2021-2025 is implemented in collaboration with the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, and Wageningen University & Research dedicated to pioneering sustainable solutions for Nigerian agriculture.
