The Federal Government has reaffirmed its structural commitment to national food security by officially handing over the newly rehabilitated Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP) Water Pumping Station in Ifite-Ogwari, Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State. 

The infrastructure has been completed under the auspices of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase One (ATASP-1) to expand dry-season, year-round cultivation aggressively. 

The apex government has successfully empowered farmers across the region to move beyond traditional, rain-fed agricultural dependence and transition to predictable, multi-cycle annual crop production.

The installation was formally transferred to the management of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority (AIRBDA) during an official ceremony drawing community leaders, agrarian stakeholders, and state delegates. 

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, the National Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1, Dr Mohammed Arabi, lauded the project as a cornerstone of modern agricultural policy. 

Represented by the National Programme Civil Engineer, Usman Abdullahi, Arabi disclosed that over 2,000 hectares of arable land have been systematically rehabilitated to ensure smallholders in Omor and surrounding areas can farm continuously regardless of seasonal variations.

The Zonal Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1 for the Adani-Omor Zone, Dr Romanus Egba, noted that the extensive rehabilitation included the complete restoration of the central pumping mechanism and the concrete lining of 40.1 kilometres of major irrigation canals. 

The multi-million Naira infrastructure drive was jointly funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Federal Government, with robust counterpart support coming directly from the Anambra State Government.

Dr Egba highly commended the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo for its crucial contribution to the facility’s operational stability, particularly through the provision of a heavy-duty 5,000KVA power transformer. He also acknowledged the persistent local advocacy of traditional institutions and key figures, including the Chairman of AIRBDA, Senator Emma Anosike. 

“The pumping station is a critical component of the irrigation system serving the Ayamelum agricultural corridor. Its rehabilitation became necessary after years of deterioration that disrupted water supply and farming activities,” Egba explained, adding that the site would instantly stimulate regional agribusiness and generate massive youth employment.

Accepting the facility on behalf of the River Basin Authority, Senator Anosike extended deep gratitude to the ATASP-1 team for resurrecting what had previously become abandoned public property. 

He firmly pledged that AIRBDA would implement strict, transparent maintenance protocols to guarantee the long-term structural integrity of the water channels. 

The Traditional Ruler of Ifite-Ogwari, Igwe Alphonsus Ofuebe, described the intervention as an exceptional economic lifeline, specifically for the thousands of rice farmers who form the bedrock of the Ayamelum agricultural economy.

Source: The Nation Online