Engineer Inuwa Kuta Musa, is a seasoned technocrat and trailblazer; he is also known to be a repository of knowledge with high moral rectitude. This shining star is the Patron to Nigeria National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (NINCID). In an interview with Veracity Desk, this distinguished Nigerian who has mentored many of the present senior Directors at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources describes the upcoming African Regional Conference which will hold from April 13 to 18, 2025, as a very timely initiative which will help to address many issues facing planting activities in Nigeria and as well proffer workable solutions by local and international experts. Engineer Musa also gives professional insights to what Irrigation truly means, describing it as an economic production system and not just a mere public infrastructure as it is being treated currently. The erudite Engineer further speaks about his expectations with respect to the April Conference plus other sundry matters.
Below is the excerpt from the interview conducted by the publisher (veracitydesk.com), Emmanuel Ajibulu:
- What are your expectations for the upcoming 2025 African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage?
The Conference, which holds from April 13 to 18, 2025, will provide a common platform for irrigation and drainage experts world-wide, Government Officials, Private Sector Stakeholders, irrigators, and Civil Society Representatives most especially from Africa to address emerging issues and problems specific to Africa.
Nigeria National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (NINCID) is member of International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) with headquarters in New Delhi, India. ICID does not limit its activities to global arena only; its focus permeates to regional level too. ICID in collaboration with NINCID and are organizing this Regional Conferences based on themes of interest to its members in African Regional Working Group. So far 4 African Regional Conferences have been held addressing issues related to African issues.
The conference will focus on exchange of latest technical expertise and practices in the irrigation and drainage sector.
- Are you convinced that this initiative can help mitigate food scarcity and hunger in Nigeria?
To fully comprehend the issues let us clearly define irrigation and drainage. Irrigation refers to the application of water to land to supplement that supplied directly by precipitation and drainage is removal of excess water from the root zone to ensure the optimum growth of crops. Agricultural water management is broader and include the management of water used in crop production (both rainfed and irrigated), livestock production and inland fisheries. Irrigation and drainage therefore involve a wide range of conditions and systems, ranging from sophisticated formal irrigation schemes with extensive modern infrastructure to the traditional flood recession practices in fadamas with limited water control facilities.
Today Africa import almost 75% of its food need. Without urgent actions this can lead to crisis food insecurity. FAO already predict that between November 2024 and May 2025, more than 20 million Nigerians will face starvation and hunger. Clearly, sustainable irrigation and drainage is a precondition for meeting the challenges of food security, climate change, rural development, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. Water is life, and reliable access and management to sufficient quantity and quality of water in all agricultural production areas is essential to how we feed our rapidly growing population in the coming decades, provide livelihood to eliminate poverty and maintain the ecosystem in Nigeria.
Our population is increasing rapidly and so are the demands for food and on our limited land and renewable water resources. We have water scarcity for more than 7 months in parts of North and have limited land in the south for agriculture. In most parts of Nigeria, the food demands have already exceeded the carrying capacities of our natural resources to meet our needs without irrigations and sustainable agricultural services management. Our old ways – institutions, laws, regulations – can no longer meet our new demographic realities.
- What advice do you have for the government to improve on food production and support for stakeholders in Nigeria’s farming and food production value chain in the country?
Sustainable water management is among the core sustainable development goal (SDG-6). It also contributes to other SDGs, including food and water security, ecosystem health, and climate adaptation. The SDG-2 seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture and has among its strategies – promotion of Irrigation Development and Agricultural Water Management (IDAWM) as a quick response.
The African Union (AU) has also prioritized water resource management and irrigation development on its Agenda 2063 titled “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development”. AU recognized that irrigation is a vital component of agriculture and a key factor in economic development, rural development and poverty reduction – especially with the heightened uncertainties in farming resulting from effects of climate change. As this would stabilize crop production and give much higher and more reliable yields; that are critical to increasing agricultural productivity and poverty eradication (AU, 2020).
Currently, about 70 percent of the nation’s population are living below the poverty line and are food insecure. More are at risk of facing hunger if urgent action is not taken. Variation in weather conditions, socio-economic instability, inadequate post-harvest technology and poor distribution network, insecurity and banditry as well as hoarding has resulted in galloping inflation and rising food prices.
The active response of President Tinubu under Renewed Hope Agenda to this calamitous situation included, Declaration of National Emergency on Food Security, Invitation to donor community, as well as public and private stakeholders to urgently commit resources and support Renewed Hope Agenda – Irrigate Nigeria Project (RHA-INP). At global, continental and national level, irrigation development, improving water governance and sustainable agricultural water management are critical vision to tackling food insecurity challenges as well as contributing to rural economic development and poverty reduction.
What is needed are comprehensive and integrated irrigation systems which are more successful and sustainable but could be expensive and have long gestation period. In the contrast, farmer-led irrigation schemes have higher potential for rapid expansion and has higher economic-returns than formal public irrigation schemes. This makes it suitable for quick interventions. Let me however sound a word of caution that irrigated agriculture substantially increases water withdrawals thus often contributing to environment degradation but its contribution to economic growth and poverty reduction makes it priority development strategy.
Nigeria has a huge, underutilized irrigation potential. The nation is variously estimated to have a potential irrigable area of 3.14 -4.5 million hectares; but only 139,128 ha has been developed and equipped for irrigation on the 323 schemes as of 2018. Nigeria also has a healthy population (this is the nation’s greatest economic asset) and an unexploited labour of teeming population of youth to be gainfully engaged in food production to feed ourselves; but only if we can ensure its productivity and profitability.
We have several untapped opportunities to facilitate emerging markets and business models of:
• Key climate smart interventions such as hydroponics, bag farming to achieve intensification and urban irrigation practices.
• Promote access to productive resources of irrigation and AWM assets to women, youth and other vulnerable groups.
• Support the potential for multiple water-use for peri-urban agriculture systems such as roof-top, greenhouse and waste-water recycling.
• Promotion of solar pumps for farmer-led irrigation schemes.
- Is there anything you noticed the government is not doing right in terms of irrigation?
Irrigation is an economic production system and not a mere public infrastructure as it is being treated currently. Consequently, we have a poorly structured irrigation industry – unable to respond to a thinning rural economy and domestic demand for food and fiber at a sufficient scale and with the right quality. In particular, the poor performance of public irrigation investment that are largely input driven and not output led. Often the information we get from decision makers and that is readily available in the public space is on how much is budgeted for the projects and very rarely are the beneficiaries mentioned nor is the output and outcome expected or achieved from the project. Irrigation is an economic pursuit, and unless it is productive and profitable to the irrigators, it will not attract the needed investors nor the younger generation to replace the old and illiterate farmers. Consequently, there is very little private investment beyond fadama-level production.
What is even more worrisome is the weak information management systems and capacity of most irrigation agencies. This is as a result of weak monitoring and evaluation system with no appropriate reward and punishment structures for success and failure. Furthermore, there is over reliance on international organizations like the World Bank, the United Nations and other bilateral and multilateral bodies for basic data and applied statistics used to even shape our national policies. This does not foster transparency, accountability and efficiency in the management of public resources.
- As a patron for Nigerian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (NINCID), what success or milestone do you think the committee has recorded since inception?
Nigerian National Committee of ICID, has gone from merely a small group of Federal Government Civil Servants going to various conferences, seminars and meetings of ICID to a truly broad National Committee of Government Officials (Federal, State, and Local Government), Researchers, Private Sector Stakeholders (manufacturers, contractors, consultants etc.), irrigators, and Civil Society Representatives and any other Nigerian interested in the practice of irrigation and drainage. It has also facilitated the linkages between researchers, managers, engineers, young professionals (below 40 years) and farmers to advance the irrigation practices.
The membership rose from less than 20 in 1980 to the current number of approximately 200. We now also have annual general meetings to elect officers to run the affairs of the body and seminars to discuss current issues in the sector respectively. The 6th African Regional Conference in Irrigation and Drainage will also mark the third time Nigeria is hosting an ICID international events. NINCID hosted the 2nd Afro-Asian Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage which took place in Lagos in 1982, and International Seminar on Performance of Large- and Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes in Africa that was held in Abuja in 1999.
