—Commissioner advices beneficiaries on proper usage
By Obansa Ibrahim, Lokoja
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. For any state or nation to thrive, it has to give agriculture its pride of place.
With this knowledge and the desire to make Kogi State one of the leading states in agriculture in Nigeria, the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, is set to distribute another batch of Solar Powered Irrigation Pumps to 30 beneficiaries from Ajaokuta, Kogi and Lokoja Local Government Areas.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Timothy Ojomah, who performed the distribution ceremony at the Kogi State Fadama CARES Coordination Office, Lokoja, stated that in the year 2023, the State had taken delivery of 24 Numbers of Solar Powered Irrigation Pumps.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaja Lammy Saratu Lawal, noted that the provision of the Solar Powered Irrigation Pumps is a collaboration between the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Fadama to boost agriculture, adding that it is very impactful and for Climate Smart Agriculture.
While appreciating the State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, for providing an enabling environment for agricultural programmes and projects to thrive, he called on the beneficiaries to put the irrigation pumps into good use, take proper care of them in order to have all year round farming.
In his remarks, the State Project Coordinator (SPC) of NG-CARES Result Area 2, Mr. David Onojah, appreciated the State Government for the support so far.
He stated that this has gone a long way in impacting the lives of beneficiaries of various agricultural inputs and livestock by cushioning the economic impact on their livelihood.
Mr. Onojah further stated that the collaboration with REA has been quite impactful with the State benefitting from another round of the delivery of the solar powered irrigation pumps.
The SPC pointed out that it is two pumps for a group of 10 members bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 150.
The beneficiaries, who expressed appreciation to REA, Kogi State Government and the Fadama Office, promised to used the solar powered irrigation pumps judiciously and use the revenue generated from the use to purchase more so that more people can benefit from it.