Farmers in about ten states in the federation are benefiting from the Watari Water Reservoir being rehabilitated by the Kano State Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria eports that the project is being rehabilitated in collaboration with the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda Programme, ATAP.
According to the Project Manager, Mohammed Tijjani-Kwa the farmers include those in Kano and the neighbouring states of Katsina, Jigawa and Kaduna.
Tijjani-Kwa explained that the farmers from the other states have been hiring land from their colleagues in Bagwai town for farming.
He added, ”Alongside their hosts, they are planting crops such as onions,guinea corn,lettuce,rice and cucumber, which they water from the reservoir under rehabilitation.”
The project manager made the disclosure while conducting journalists round the multi-billion Naira reservoir project, which he said, waters 917 hectares of land.
According to the project manager, about 25,000 farmers are benefiting from the reservoir,and that their farming activities around the facility has changed their lives.
Mr Tijjani-Kwa said, “This is because, they produce crops worth millions of Naira that enable them to take care of their basic needs and those of their loved ones.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of Watari Water Project Farmers Association, Ibrahim Sani, said the provision of the reservoir had checked migration of people from the area to other parts of the country.
“Before the coming of this reservoir,our people, especially youths, were migrating to other parts of the country, particularly Southern Nigeria,in search of jobs,but now the trend has stopped,” Sani said.
He commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for the actualistion of the facility, which he also said, had changed the lives of the people of the area.
“We invite the governor to come to Bagwai town and see for himself how this reservoir has changed our lives for the better,as our people are now gainfully employed,” Sani said.
The chairman, however,appealed to the state government to support the farmers with agricultural implements and inputs such as seeds and fertilisers.
According to him, such assistance will enable them to boost their productivity and further enhance the economy of the area.
NAN
