$495.30m Zamfara irrigation project under security threat – Report

Insecurity in Zamfara State has severely disrupted the implementation of the World Bank-funded Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria project, sparking concerns about meeting key deadlines.

Despite these setbacks, the project’s overall performance has been rated as “Moderately Satisfactory,” according to the latest Implementation Status & Results Report obtained by the PUNCH on Wednesday.

The TRIMING project, valued at $495.30m, was approved on June 19, 2014, to enhance access to irrigation services, boost agricultural productivity, and improve water resource management in northern Nigeria.

However, Zamfara State has emerged as a significant bottleneck, hampering the project’s success due to persistent security challenges.

The instability has disrupted work at the Bakolori Irrigation Scheme, forcing operations to occur only during daylight hours and preventing concurrent activities across multiple sites.

The report read, “The security concerns in Zamfara State remained the single greatest threat to the full achievement of the target at BIS due to security management constraints, which prevent works outside of daylight hours and do not allow for simultaneous works on several sites.”

So far, $373.69m, or 75.45 per cent of the loan, has been disbursed, with the project now expected to conclude on January 31, 2025.

Despite the challenges, progress has been recorded across key areas. The irrigation schemes have provided access to over 33,000 hectares of irrigated land, out of a targeted 37,600 hectares. Rehabilitated infrastructure has already been handed over to farmers, allowing agricultural production to resume.

Several major project components remain on track. The report noted improvements in irrigation areas, including 9,583 hectares under the Kano River project and 5,547 hectares at Bakolori.

The report noted, “The Project continues to make significant progress despite the impact of the sustained security concerns in the north. It has a Moderately Satisfactory Implementation Progress rating.

“Per the request of the Federal government of Nigeria, the World Bank recently approved an exceptional extension of the closing date of TRIMING to January 31, 2025, mainly to enable the completion of repair works on the Tiga Dam, to complete the ongoing contract at Bakolori Irrigation Scheme and to support the preparation of the Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria Project.”

On September 26, 2024, the World Bank approved three new projects for Nigeria, totalling $1.57bn in financing, including the $500m SPIN project.

SPIN aims to address climate-induced challenges, such as floods and droughts, through improved dam safety and water resource management. With plans to expand irrigation services, the initiative is set to benefit approximately 950,000 individuals, including farmers and livestock breeders.

Also, the project includes the development of a hydropower master plan, focusing on energy production through public-private partnerships to bolster Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.

The SPIN project is expected to further boost agricultural productivity through more reliable irrigation systems, consolidating the progress made under the TRIMING initiative.