ATASPH-1 to strengthen irrigation schemes, feeder roads

The Federal Government/African Development Bank’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda Phase one (ATASPH-1) project will now focus on developing irrigation facilities and feeder roads in the next phase. The National Project Coordinator of the project Haruna Akwashiki, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja at the concluding day of the mid-term review of the project […]

The Federal Government/African Development Bank’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda Phase one (ATASPH-1) project will now focus on developing irrigation facilities and feeder roads in the next phase.

The National Project Coordinator of the project Haruna Akwashiki, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja at the concluding day of the mid-term review of the project with experts from the ADB, FG and the participating states.

Mr Akwashiki, who said the project had achieved much in its other components, however, noted that not much was achieved with regard to irrigation facilities and feeder roads.

“We have not achieved much in terms of feeder roads and irrigation schemes. So the next face is going to focus aggressively on these two areas,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Sokoto state ministry of agriculture, Alhaji Sani Garba Shuni, urged the project to look at rehabilitating the existing irrigation facilities at Gware LGA, where the project is domiciled in the state.

The national project coordinator also stressed that since the commencement of the programme in 2015, it has done much in addressing the constraints of rice, sorghum and cassava value chains in four staple crops processing zones of Adani-Omor, Bida-Badaggi, Kano-Jigawa and Kebbi-Sokoto.