By Animashaun Salman

The Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority has assured rice farmers across the Middle Rima Valley of immediate and adequate water release to salvage their crops.

This comes after growing concerns over the dwindling water level downstream, threatening thousands of rice farms across parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states.

The Managing Director of SRRBDA, Alhaji Abubakar Mallam, directed the immediate release of appropriate volumes of water and convened an emergency meeting with top officials, including Executive Director of Engineering, Mansur Khalifa and other project heads.

The meeting focused on deploying a sustainable water management plan, especially during the critical pre-inflow season.

The MD, who suspended his public holiday engagements, embarked on a field visit to key irrigation sites in Argungu and Birnin Kebbi, where he inspected rice fields at Gazawa, Infiya, Tura, and Farfajiya.

“We cannot sit comfortably in our offices while farmers suffer. As stakeholders in President Bola Tinubu’s food sufficiency agenda, we must bridge communication gaps and ensure water reaches every farm,” Mallam stated.

The Head of Goronyo Dam Management, Abdullahi Jafar, clarified that water release had been temporarily halted due to rainfall projections by the  Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

He confirmed that the reservoir currently held sufficient reserves to meet irrigation demands for the dry season.

The Project Manager of Zauro Polder, Hajiya Mariya Muhammad, assured the farmers of responsive governance under the new leadership.

Animashaun Salman

Published Date: April 21, 2025