Prof. Mohammed Khalid-Othman, the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) has called on the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) in the Northwest to liaise with the North-West Development Commission (NWDC) to promote agricultural innovation for sustainable food security and economic development.
Khalid-Othman, former National Secretary of NIAE, made the call while delivering a keynote address at the maiden Northwest Conference organized by Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) and Nigerian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (NINCID).
The two-day virtual conference has the theme “Advancing Climate-Smart Irrigation, Drainage and Agricultural Mechanization for Sustainable food security and economic development in Northern Nigeria”.
The Vice Chancellor urged the agricultural engineers to develop a comprehensive policy and implementation blueprint on irrigation, agricultural mechanisation and smart agriculture for the region.
The Professor of Agricultural and Bio-Resources Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria, said such a blueprint would provide a coordinated framework for addressing the region’s agricultural challenges and promoting sustainable food production.
Khalid-Othman said the Northwest was at a critical point, facing challenges including uncoordinated interventions, neglected irrigation infrastructure, inadequate mechanisation, insecurity, low productivity, poverty and vulnerability associated with dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
To address the challenges, Khalid-Othman proposed the establishment of Northwest Centres of Excellence for irrigation, mechanisation and smart agriculture in universities including ABU, FUDMA, Bayero University Kano (BUK) and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).
The don also called on the NIAE, in collaboration with the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), to accelerate efforts toward developing standards for agricultural machinery.
According to him, standardisation of such equipment will help protect farmers from substandard machinery and improve agricultural productivity.
Khalid-Othman further urged the NIAE Northwest chapter to monitor the proposed Agricultural Trust Fund Bill before the National Assembly, noting that it enactment would provide additional impetus for the development of the agricultural sector.
“The regional body should also keep track on the Bill for Agricultural Trust Fund, which is now before the National Assembly. This, when legislated, would improve the needed impetus in Agriculture. NIAE Northwest would then be proactive to pursue its needs on irrigation, mechanization and smart agriculture.
“Northwest Nigeria stands at a critical historical crossroad. It is on the path marked by uncoordinated interventions, neglected infrastructures for irrigation, inadequate mechanization, insecurity, low productivity, poverty, and rain-fed vulnerability.
“By addressing the critical issues raised and adopting phased implementation of the mitigation measures, we can transform Northwest Nigeria into a booming, resilient engine of global agricultural prosperity.
“Let us, as engineers and scientists, lead this transformation today. I am highly optimistic that this maiden conference is a promising kick-starter for this engine,” the Vice Chancellor said.
In his lead paper presentation, Engr. Prof. Sadiq Zubair-Abubakar, the President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), proposes a Northwest irrigation transformation framework.
He said the framework should be built around eight pillars, namely, rehabilitation and modernisation, water-resource intelligence, climate-smart irrigation, renewable-energy-powered irrigation, drainage and salinity management, farmer-led governance, agriculture value-chain integration and professional engineering, regulation and asset management.
He said irrigation should be treated not merely as an agricultural intervention but as a strategic regional infrastructure system for food security, employment, industrialisation, climate adaptation and natural economic resilience.
Earlier, the Chairman, Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Prof. Mohammed Shu’aibu-Abubakar, stressed the need for collaboration, noting that no single institution or profession can proffer solution alone to the challenges confronting the region.