FG to complete 34-year-old MOIP to strengthen food security

The  Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation,  Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has said that the rehabilitation and completion of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Project (MOIP) in Iseyin Local Government Area, Oyo State, will significantly contribute to job creation, poverty alleviation, and food security, while enhancing irrigated agriculture.

Utsev said the project, originally awarded in 1990, when completed will align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

The Minister made this statement during an on-site assessment of the project in Iseyin, Oyo State, on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

Utsev highlighted the notable progress made by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in the construction and rehabilitation of MOIP.

He revealed that the project, originally awarded in 1990, was designed to irrigate 12,000 hectares of farmland using diesel pumps and water from the Ikere-Gorge Dam.

He emphasized the Ministry’s recent efforts to expedite the project’s completion and underscored its potential to boost agricultural production, create employment opportunities, and strengthen food security in Nigeria.

He thanked the farmers and local stakeholders for their ongoing support and participation in Irrigated Agriculture.

Utsev explained that when the irrigation project was initially constructed, diesel pumps were used, which have since proven unsustainable.

To address this, he disclosed that the Ministry, through the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, has provided a dedicated power line for the project via the National Grid. This power line, from Iseyin town to the project site, aims to ensure the project’s sustainability and reduce operational costs for farmers.

He added that the power line is 90% complete, while the solarization of the Centre Pivot Irrigation Unit is at 85% completion.

Engr. (Mrs) Esther Oyeronke Oluniyi, Director of Irrigation and Drainage, represented by Mrs. Florence Oyakhirome, Deputy Director of Irrigation and Drainage, provided a brief on the latest developments on the project.

She disclosed key achievements, including the conversion and connection of pumps to the National Grid, construction of night storage reservoirs, rehabilitation of headworks, and stockpiling of essential irrigation equipment.

According to her, these efforts are aimed at revitalizing the project for effective and efficient use by farmers.

Additionally, she revealed that the solarization of the Centre Pivot Irrigation System will make the project more environmentally friendly, enabling year-round farming.

Oluniyi, who noted that farmers are already benefiting from the infrastructure, cultivating crops such as maize, tomatoes, peppers, and sugarcane, requested additional access to farmlands and irrigation facilities to expand their operations.

The ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Mrs. Funmi Imuetinyan in a statement on Thursday said the Ministry will complete the rehabilitation and expansion of the first phase, which covers 3,000 hectares of irrigated land.