Nearly 70% of global freshwater use is sourced from irrigation, which helps plants survive dry spells, thereby ensuring continuous yields.
Generally, irrigation works by moving water from a source—whether a river, dam, borehole or reservoir—to the roots of crops. While some irrigation systems are designed to supply water across fields in the manner of a rainfall, others work in a drip-drip pattern, conserving every litre.
Despite these benefits, only about 6% of cultivated land across Africa is irrigated.
A medley of reasons explain this low adoption. The cost of building and maintaining irrigation infrastructure usually stretches beyond the reach of most smallholder farmers. Reliable access to water or electricity is limited, prompting many to depend on unpredictable rainfall.
Even in situations where water is available, there is a shortage of technical know-how and extension support to manage irrigation systems.
This inevitably creates a great shortfall in food production. Kenya’s per-capita freshwater availability is about 527 cubic metres, far below the UN’s water-stress threshold of 1,000. Experts predict the figures to fall to 475 cubic metres by 2030, leaving many plots susceptible to droughts.
Irrigation lessons from Rwanda
By contrast, Rwanda offers a glimpse of what sustained investment and coordination can achieve. Through the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP), solar-powered irrigation systems have been installed across 20 districts, benefiting 3,369 farmers and supporting continuous production.
It aims to expand coverage by 2029—from 71,585 hectares to 132,171 hectares.
In Nigeria, new efforts are underway to tackle this concern. The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched the Irrigate Nigeria Project, designed to deploy modern irrigation systems across 10,000 hectares of farmland, enabling up to three planting cycles annually.
The project’s solar-powered irrigation pumps have also received endorsement from the National Economic Council (NEC) for a nationwide rollout in 2025.
Recently, Katsina State distributed 4,000 irrigation pumps and 4,000 knapsack sprayers—including herbicides and liquid fertilisers—to farmers in the state.
The initiative, which involved a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Irrigation Authority, was part of a statewide scheme to drive rural development and accelerate agricultural productivity.
The state’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority has deployed extension officers to guide farmers on how to use the irrigation pumps and sprayers properly.
Katsina’s recent gesture reinforces its growing commitment to climate-resilient agriculture. The state has already pledged 30% of its annual budget to climate resilience, including water and irrigation interventions.
These inputs can reduce waste, improve yields and open new opportunities for farmers to lift their families out of hardship. In turn, the broader economy will benefit from stronger agricultural output and more stable rural livelihoods.
By linking irrigation to rural empowerment, the government aims to improve yields, reduce post-harvest losses, and stabilise household incomes. This could have ripple effects on both food production and market stability.
Nevertheless, there are challenges ahead. Farmers require ongoing support, training and reliable maintenance of equipment to ensure the pumps and sprayers remain in active use.
Its productivity will depend on how well the extension services follow through, whether the market remains available for increased production, and whether rural infrastructure (such as electricity for pump operation) can be sustained.
Also, continuous farmer education, reliable power for pump operation, and viable markets for increased production remain vital, to ensure that food production can go on all year round.
Summary not available at this time.
