Kano -Kano state government will soon commence the rehabilitation of 20 of its dams located across the state to ensure effective utilisation, Alhaji Usman Ririwai, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, has said.
Ririwai told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kano that the decision to rehabilitate the dams was part of the state irrigation master plan.
“The rehabilitation is part of the irrigation master plan for the state designed to enhance food production,’’ he said.
He explained that rehabilitating the dams was necessary since only 40 per cent of irrigable land around the site of the 20 dams were currently being utilised for irrigation purpose.
“Our investigation has shown that only 40 per cent of irrigable land around the dams is being used by the communities for irrigation.
“So government finds it necessary to fill the gap to encourage our people embrace dry season farming.
“We have to fall back on farming because of the current economic situation in the country,’’ Ririwai said.
The commissioner said that the government would encourage farmers to produce maize, rice, wheat, sugarcane, vegetables and other cash crops at the various irrigation sites in the state.
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“We want to use agriculture for economic development because we cannot continue to depend on the importation of such commodities,’’ he said. (NAN)