Inside Gurara irrigation farms

Gurara Multipurpose Dam Project is one of the multi-billion naira federal government projects which include an irrigation farm project that will scale up food production in the country.  One of the aims of setting up the Gurara irrigation project is to engage many young Nigerian graduates in the project for sustainable income generation.  Mrs. Sarah […]

Gurara Multipurpose Dam Project is one of the multi-billion naira federal government projects which include an irrigation farm project that will scale up food production in the country. 
One of the aims of setting up the Gurara irrigation project is to engage many young Nigerian graduates in the project for sustainable income generation. 
Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, a former minister of water resources, while inspecting the pilot irrigation project, few years ago, said: “It is in this site that we will start the graduate irrigation farmers’ scheme shortly, we will start with about 300 young graduates that are interested in farming, and they would be trained on the modern ways of farming.”
The graduate irrigation farmers’ scheme has not yet commenced.
The Gurara Irrigation Project which is located at Azara-Jere in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State is one of the key components’ projects of the Gurara Multipurpose Dam Project awarded by the federal government at the initial sum of N15.1 billion in 2001, initially to transfer water from Gurara Dam to Lower Usuma Dam to meet Abuja water needs.
However, in 2007, the federal government added additional components: hydro-power plant and pilot irrigation farming projects. 
These additional components, which gulped N38.5 billion, raised the initial contract sum to N54.3 billion. 
With potential of satisfying 12,000 hectares when fully developed, the irrigation project is designed to accommodate 6,000 hectares of farmlands to be owned by both smallholder and commercial farmers.
Two companies have been contracted to handle the project. SCC Nigeria Limited works on 4,000 hectares, while 2,000 hectares are being developed by Salini Nigeria Limited.
The water distribution system for the project, including 29 kilometres (1,400mm steel) pipeline, 100,000 m3 regulating water reservoir, secondary distribution system, and on-farm distribution system, which covers the 4,000 hectares, is handled by SCC Nigeria Limited.
The irrigation project uses five types of irrigation systems:  pressure irrigation, irrigation with fixed sprinklers, drip irrigation, mobile irrigation with sprinkler and pivot irrigation systems. 
Although the project was awarded almost a decade ago, irrigation farming just started last year.
Daily Trust visited some of the farms, saw the pivot irrigation working but did not see the other systems of irrigation, which were part of the project’s master plan. 
Engineer Ahmed Idris, one of the site’s officials in charge of the irrigation site office, said the allocation of the farms has all been done since last year, adding that some farmers could not do the dry season farming but they have started clearing their lands for cultivation. 
He said there are some applications requesting for farm lands at the site. 
Another source told the reporter that there are requests for farm lands from Abuja’s residents, adding that those who got allocation need to withdraw their interest in the land before such plots can be re-allocated. 
The source also confirms that only motorised pivot irrigation is used at the moment. 
The project has started creating employment for many people in and around the Federal Capital Territory.
At one of the ginger farms, a group of 20 young and middle-aged women are making an average of N25,000 to N30,000 per month working there. 
Gloria Bitrus, from Issah-Pago village, said the project has created a lot of opportunities for them to make money.
She said the least they collect a day is N1,000 working from 10.00a.m. to 3:00p.m.
Their works include weeding and planting.
“Every day we are engaged, this is good for us and our families,” she said. 
Patricia Ezekiel, a young lady, told the reporter that she works to raise money for her education. “With this, I will be able to pay my school fees,” she said. 
Mohammed Abubakar is one of the fresh corn buyers at the site. He said that since the project started last year, he has been coming to buy corn, which he says helps him to generate income. 
“Some of us have been coming to do business here consistently for the last one year,” he said. 
Although the reporter could see some of the farms yet to be cultivated, there are apparent signs that the project has commenced in earnest.