FG, World Bank launch $500m irrigation project

The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a $500 million Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria, SPIN project, in partnership with the World Bank, to transform the country’s irrigation systems and hydropower infrastructure.

This is part of a broader strategy to enhance food security, climate resilience, and sustainable energy access.

The initiative officially commenced on Friday with the inauguration of the SPIN Steering Committee in Abuja. The project is designed to expand irrigated agriculture to 500,000 hectares and generate up to 30 gigawatts of clean energy, especially from hydropower, according to Prof. Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, who co-chairs the Steering Committee with the Minister of Power.

Utsev said the SPIN project builds on the successes of the TRIMING project, which revitalised 32,000 hectares of farmland and empowered Water Users Associations nationwide. The new project incorporates four key components: institutional strengthening, irrigation modernization, dam safety improvements, and efficient project management.

Two implementation models will be deployed — one managed directly by the federal government with participating states, and another focusing on state-led irrigation systems. Out of 34 interested states, 17 have been confirmed as eligible, having met requirements such as passing WUA legislation, providing operational budgets, and securing counterpart funding.

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The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, praised the project’s timeliness, noting its potential to transform Nigeria’s agricultural productivity and resilience. He stressed the need for measurable outcomes, saying, “Every programme must deliver real, trackable results.”

In his remarks, the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, represented by Permanent Secretary Mahmadu Mamman, reaffirmed the role of hydropower in Nigeria’s energy mix, emphasizing its stability, efficiency, and compatibility with other renewables. He noted the ministry’s role in attracting private sector investment and expressed readiness to confront implementation challenges.

Mr. Chinedu Umoru, the World Bank Task Team Leader for SPIN, lauded Nigeria’s strong commitment to the project and called for stakeholders to match the government’s resolve with consistent action.

The SPIN Steering Committee, comprising federal ministers and state commissioners, will act as the apex decision-making body. The inaugural meeting also fulfilled a statutory requirement to activate the World Bank’s financing arrangement.

Expected to have wide-reaching impact, the SPIN project will boost food production, secure water resources, improve dam safety, and strengthen energy access for rural communities, aligning with the objectives of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

NAN