According to Nigeria's This Day Online, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr Sayyadi Ruma, made this known in Abuja yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
He said the fund was part of government’s effort to reposition the country's agricultural sector.
He explained that the fund is also aimed at achieving an intensified aquaculture production system and sustainable conservation through construction of small dams and irrigation facilities as well as acquisition of carbon credit through afforestation.
"The target to be realised and the activities to be carried out in order to achieve this development objectives are organised in three sub-programmes," he said.
Dr Ruma said NGN20 billion of the NGN33 billion would be spent for water management to tap into the 267.7 billion cubic metre surface water for expansion beyond the current 220,000 hectares of irrigated land.
He said under the water programme, food security and early warning systems would be developed nationwide.
The minister said irrigation, dams and flood control system would also be constructed, adding that existing legislation on water would be developed, reviewed and evaluated.
In a bid to achieve these objective, he said compilation of data on water networks across the country had commenced, reports This Day Online.
Govt Offers Financial Boost for Aquaculture
NIGERIA - The federal government has earmarked 33 billion naira (NGN) for water, aquaculture and environmental management programmes.
