President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday declared that his administration would construct additional 400 dams to boost irrigation across the country before the expiration of his term in 2019.
He also revealed that Nigeria’s population doubles itself every 25 years, stressing that this was why the government had decided to focus on revamping agriculture and solid mineral sectors.
Buhari disclosed this to delegates from Africa and other continents at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Food Crisis Prevention Network which was held in Abuja.
The President said the government had started implementing measures to expand the production of grains and other agricultural produce in Nigeria, adding that the country would start experiencing three harvesting seasons when more dams become operational in the next two years.
Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said, “We can no longer rely on rainfall, we have to create more dams, water reservoirs and insist on harvesting food at least three times in a year.
“I am happy to tell you that the programme is being designed and in the next two and half years we shall add to the existing 200 dams at least another 400 dams across the country to encourage irrigation on a large scale.”
On Nigeria’s increasing population, he said the number of citizens across the country might hit 500 million by 2050 and that there was the need to plan how to feed the nation when its population gets to that level.
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