Worsening insecurity, funding hindering irrigation at Goronyo site – MD
The managing director of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), Alhaji Abubakar Malam, has said that worsening insecurity around major irrigation facilities, particularly Goronyo dam, coupled with funding challenges, is severely hindering irrigation activities and agricultural productivity in the four states under their mandate. Alhaji Malam disclosed this while briefing journalists after a […]
The managing director of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), Alhaji Abubakar Malam, has said that worsening insecurity around major irrigation facilities, particularly Goronyo dam, coupled with funding challenges, is severely hindering irrigation activities and agricultural productivity in the four states under their mandate.
Alhaji Malam disclosed this while briefing journalists after a courtesy visit by officials of the Sokoto State Ministry of Water Resources and other key stakeholders in the water sector on Wednesday.
He explained that the meeting was aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Authority and the Sokoto State Government to improve water supply, irrigation farming and dam management.
According to him, the Sokoto Rima Basin controls major dams in the region and supplies potable water to Sokoto State, while the state government owns the land on which most of the facilities are located, making cooperation inevitable.
“Goronyo dam is the major source of water supply to Sokoto State and also serves thousands of farmers. It is only natural for us to sit down, rub minds and see how best we can coordinate our activities and support each other,” he said.
He identified insecurity as the most critical challenge confronting the Authority, revealing that persistent security threats around the Goronyo irrigation area have forced farmers, contractors and even staff of the Authority to abandon the site.
“Insecurity has made it impossible for people to stay there. Contractors working on the irrigation scheme left around June after withdrawing their private security. Since then, farmers are afraid to return, and even our staff cannot reside there,” he explained.
He added that the officer responsible for monitoring and controlling water release to Sokoto town and its environs currently operates from Sokoto city as he cannot stay near the dam due to security concerns.
“This is very dangerous. The dam is critical, not only for irrigation but also for drinking water supply. If there is no adequate security presence, anything can happen, and the consequences will be terrible for the people of Sokoto State,” Malam warned.
He disclosed that the Authority had about 50 housing units at its Goronyo staff colony, which it is ready to hand over to the state government for use by security personnel if that would help restore confidence and encourage farmers to return to their farmlands.
On job creation, the managing director said the Authority had received approval to construct about 15 earth dams across its mandate areas of Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara and Kebbi states, a move he said would expand irrigation farming and create employment opportunities for youths.
He also spoke on plans to revive other irrigation schemes, including Bakalori, Dutsinma and Shagari, noting that the Shagari irrigation project has remained largely abandoned for years.
“The Shagari scheme has huge potential, but unfortunately, it has not been functional. We are engaging the state government to see what is required to revive it so that it can provide irrigation and drinking water to Shagari and neighbouring communities,” he said.
Alhaji Malam further lamented that although water users associations (WUAs) were still in place across irrigation schemes, funds collected from farmers and paid into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) had not been returned to them to maintain irrigation facilities.
“These associations are supposed to be supported to maintain the schemes, but up till now, nothing has been given back to them. The money is there, and the government needs to encourage them,” he noted.
On the recurring overflow of the Goronyo dam, he explained that it is largely caused by excessive rainfall, stressing that while the dam’s capacity is about 947 million cubic metres, inflow sometimes exceeds two billion cubic metres during heavy rainfall seasons.