President Tinubu’s declaration of a national emergency on food security marks a major policy shift — and a much-needed one — given Nigeria’s growing population, volatile climate conditions, and persistent agricultural struggles.
The platform of the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage couldn’t have been more fitting. With food prices soaring, farmers battling unpredictable rainfall, and increasing flood risks, the urgency to invest in irrigation and sustainable water management is now impossible to ignore.
Key Takeaways from the Announcement:
🔹 National Emergency Declared
By labeling food security a national emergency, Tinubu is signaling that agriculture and irrigation development are now top-tier priorities — not just sectoral concerns.
🔹 Massive Irrigation Potential
Nigeria reportedly has 3.1 million hectares of irrigable land — a figure that could truly transform food production if harnessed with the right infrastructure and policy backing.
🔹 Transition from TRIMING to SPIN
The TRIMING project saw real progress — like the Dadin-Kowa and Bakolori schemes — and now its successor, the SPIN project (Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria), is positioned to scale that momentum with World Bank support.
🔹 Focus on Inclusivity and Private Investment
The emphasis on Water Users Associations, market linkages for crops like rice and tomatoes, and the partial commercialisation of River Basin Authorities suggests a push toward private sector participation and community-led governance.
🔹 Climate Realism from Zulum
Governor Zulum nailed it when he said: “Irrigation is now a necessity, not a luxury.” His remarks paint a picture of land degradation and disappearing rain seasons, especially in the North — where agriculture is both livelihood and identity.
🔹 Empowering Youth and Women
This came up again and again — the need to democratize innovation and support the actual farmers on the ground, not just policymakers in suits. It’s about ownership, access, and inclusion.
What Comes Next?
While the speeches and MoUs are encouraging, implementation is everything. Without transparency, professional staffing, reliable funding, and real-time support to rural communities, the declarations risk becoming just another round of lofty promises.
But if taken seriously, this could be a turning point — not just for Nigeria, but for Africa’s entire food and water security narrative.
What’s your take — do you think this emergency declaration can spark real change? Or will it take more than conferences and World Bank partnerships to fix the deep-rooted issues in Nigeria’s agricultural system?