FG officials visit irrigation project in A’Ibom, tasks farmers on irrigation

Akpan Umoh, Uyo

The Federal Government officials from the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation visited Oniong Nung Ndem irrigation project in Onna LGA in Akwa Ibom and urged farmers to see irrigation farming as a modern way of farming to increase production and plant food crops all year round.

Mrs Esther Oluniyi, Director, Irrigation and Drainage Department, of the ministry said this while speaking with newsmen on Saturday after a facility tour of the project.

Oluniyi, who led directors and participants at the South-South Regional Workshop on Establishment and Strengthening of Water Users’ Associations (WUAs) in Public Irrigation Schemes in Nigeria to the irrigation site for on-the-spot assessment.

She urged farmers at irrigation projects to take irrigation farming seriously as it is meant to increase food production and economic growth of the nation.

The director assured farmers that the government was working very hard to ensure food sufficiency through irrigation farming.

She said the government would meet their demands of providing them with adequate water to plant in all seasons for increased yields.

“I’m very impressed with what we have seen here in Oniong Nnung Ndem Irrigation project with about 400 hectares of farmland and the farmers have zeal in this irrigation farming.

“This means that, if the land is more, there will be enough farmers to cultivate in this place.

“I am happy that about 80 per cent of the farmers here are women and they are doing actively well.

“The farmers have told us some of their challenges, by the grace of God when we go back, we will look into them.

“We are checking through to see the possibility of using solar power systems to pump water to all the farmers to reduce the cost of running diesel in the farm,” she said.

In his remarks, the Project Manager, Mr Osung Ntekim, said that once the problem of water is solved it will go along for farmers to plant more hectares of land.

“The original concept was to take water from the river, and that is where the solution is, the carnal supposed to be temporary measures.

“The borehole takes about four days to feed the reservoir, but if we take water from the river, in 30 minutes this reservoir will be filled and it will serve us better,” he said.

He urged the government to support the farmers with tractors to reduce stress, during land clearing and cultivation.

Speaking to newsmen, a farmer, Mrs Ekaete Etukudoh, said that the project has added value to ensure food sufficiency for the state and nation.

Etukudoh said that people came from neighbouring states to buy vegetables and other farm produce. She urged the Cross River basin authority to look for a way of expanding the project to accommodate more farmers for more production.