June 14, (THEWILL)- The Sokoto State government in collaboration with the Federal Government, have agreed to rehabilitate at least 17 major Earth dams to improve agricultural production in the state.
The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Yusuf Muhammad Maccido, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Sokoto on Thursday.
He said the Ministry had identified 72 earth dams across the state, which existed for a long time in memorial but needed reconstruction and rehabilitation to enable them to function in irrigation farming activities.
The Commissioner assured that, already, his ministry had entered into a partnership with the state ministries of agriculture and environment to repair and reposition all the dams into functionality.
“Under the new arrangements, two major dams the Shagari and Goronyo dams will also be rehabilitated.”
According to him, the reconstruction works of the Shagari dam will be completed and put into use this year while the Goronyo dam will also be rehabilitated and expanded to Illela local government area in the state.
The rehabilitation works include the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation canals and waterways schemes to make them functional and useful for irrigation purposes.
“I assure you that by the end of this year, the Shagari dam will be functional and used for irrigation farming and hydroelectricity.”
Elaborating some of the functions of the dam apart from the provision of water also includes agriculture and hydroelectric supply and assures that the dam which was laying idle many years ago would be repaired.
The commissioner further stated that the second dam in their proposal is awaiting rehabilitation and has been functioning for irrigation farming and other activities since last year.
As part of the preparations to make the dam function was the establishment of a water users association.
He disclosed that the association will be provided with loans by the government so that they will be able to utilise the dam for irrigation farming.
“Goronyo Dam will expand the length of the dam to cover the nearby villages and end at a village called Gidan Salihu in the Illela area for agricultural purposes”, Maccido further explained.
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Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
