By Umar Faruk, Birnin Kebbi
The Management of Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority has assured farmers in the Rima Valley downstream of timely release of water to mitigate the threat of damage to thousands of rice farms in some parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States.
The assurance was made by the Managing Director, Alh Abubakar Malam Shettiman Gwandu, during a visit to some rice fields in the Middle Rima Valley Irrigation Project farms at Argungu and Birnin Kebbi. The visit was prompted by reports of low water levels in the downstream sectors of the project, which has raised concerns among farmers.
Alh Abubakar Malam said, "In the vocabulary of Farmers; there is no public holiday, therefore as critical stakeholders in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's drive for food sufficiency and rural Economic growth, Rima Basin Managers cannot remain at the comfort of our homes or offices to watch farmers suffer from insufficient water distribution."
The Managing Director assured farmers that the new Management will be proactive in bridging the communication gap to carry them along in all programs and services that have direct bearings on their farming activities. "Henceforth, the new Management will be proactive by bridging communication gap in order to carry them along in all programs and services that have direct bearings on their farming activities," he said.
The Assistant Program Manager and Head of Goronyo Dam Management, Engr Abdullahi Jafar, explained that the decision to halt water supply was based on annual rainfall predictions by the National Meteorological Agency (NIMET) for the 2025 session. However, he assured that there isn't any cause for alarm as the Goronyo Dam Reservoir contained adequate water volumes that can navigate the remaining days of the 2025 pre-inflow period.
The Project Manager of Zauro Polder, Hajiya Engr Mariya Muhammad, also assured farmers that the new Rima Managing Director is farmer-friendly and urged them to voice out their concerns and yearnings for appropriate actions by the Management.
The Managing Director was accompanied by key officials of the Authority, including the Director Administration, Project Manager Middle Rima Valley Irrigation Project Goronyo, and Head of Goronyo Dam Management, among others. The visit included rice farm inspections, site visits to the River Bank at Argungu, and Zauro Polder irrigation site in Birnin Kebbi, where complaints and suggestions by farmers were captured for appropriate responses by the Management.