In Nigeria, the Kano River Irrigation Scheme (KRIS), located 30 kilometres south of Kano, the capital of Kano State, has been completed. The infrastructure built under the programme was recently commissioned in the presence of Nigeria's Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
The implementation phase of the Kano River Irrigation Scheme (KRIS) has been completed. The announcement was made by the Nigerian Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on 12 May 2023, prior to the inauguration of the programme’s infrastructure which will benefit about 140,000 farmers.
The KRIS programme has been deployed in northern Nigeria where drought is threatening people’s livelihoods. The programme has upgraded 12 irrigation systems linked to the Kano and Shimar rivers. The Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) was appointed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Nigeria to implement the KRIS.
The programme also rehabilitated the Tiga water reservoir, Ruwan Kenya reservoir, Gayere canal, East branch canal, West branch canal, drainage system and the main canal. The rehabilitated infrastructure will store water for supply to farmers in times of severe drought, mainly for rice, maize, millet and tomato cultivation.
Financial support from the World Bank
Some 37,500 hectares of additional land will be irrigated in Kano State as a result of the KRIS, with a positive impact on crop yields. In addition to farmers, “water users’ associations and rural residents will benefit from this project valued at 27 billion naira (about $59 million),” says Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice president.
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It is a component of the World Bank-supported Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMiNG) programme. Launched in 2016, TRIMiNG aims to improve agricultural yields through the development of irrigation systems and better management of water resources in Nigeria.
Inès Magoum
