When Mustapha Adamu surveys farmland in Kano State, northern Nigeria, he recalls the difficulties farmers faced a decade ago. Poor access to water, degraded soil, and unpredictable weather made farming challenging. “Things were bad here,” said Mustapha, who leads a Water Users’ Association for irrigation farmers. “Farming this land was a tough task.”
The situation has shifted due to the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project. Supported by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and financed by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), TRIMING has modernized irrigation systems, improved water management, and upgraded infrastructure.
Nigeria faces increasing demand for jobs, with more than 70% of its population under 30. Agriculture accounts for about a quarter of the country’s GDP and employs over a third of the population. However, climate change has made rural livelihoods more precarious, with most farmers relying on rainfall and less than 1% of farmland irrigated.
TRIMING rehabilitated irrigation systems and trained farmers across four major schemes: Kano River, Hadejia Valley, Bakolori, and Dadin Kowa. In Kano State, irrigated land expanded to over 15,000 hectares, leading to more intensive and productive farming. The project also cleared irrigation canals, repaired roads, and introduced improved water management practices. Over 800 Water Users’ Associations were established and strengthened to help manage resources and maintain infrastructure.
In Jigawa State, farmer Musa Idris noted the difference improved irrigation made. “Before the project, we faced many challenges with water,” he said. “We used to get about 15 to 20 bags of rice per acre. Now, we get between 30 and 35 bags. We are preparing the land to plant tomatoes and rice, and after that, we will get ready for wheat.”
Hajiya Ramatu, a farmer and deputy leader of a women’s group, described how support for irrigated farming has increased since the project began in 2014, especially for women. “That has changed - women are actively involved now,” she said. “You can see this lane of rice—we are going to make some good money from it.” Her group expanded its farmland from 22 to 37 hectares. Improved roads have made it easier to bring crops to market, and Ramatu said the benefits have reached her family: her son now attends university.
The TRIMING project improved and expanded irrigation across 43,400 hectares, producing enough crops to feed about one million people. With support from the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP), dam safety was strengthened, drainage systems improved, sedimentation reduced, and sustainable water management promoted.
A follow-on initiative, the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project, will continue these efforts with ongoing IDA support. Nigeria aims to irrigate 500,000 hectares by 2030 to boost food production and improve rural livelihoods as its population is projected to reach 400 million by 2050.
The World Bank is supporting irrigation development globally as a means to increase agricultural production to meet rising food demand. Irrigation can more than double yields compared to rain-fed farming while using less land and water per unit of output. In Nigeria, where most farmland still depends on rainfall despite available local water resources, farmers like Mustapha Adamu and Hajiya Ramatu are seeing improvements in yields, incomes, and food security amid changing climate conditions.