Horti-Nigeria, a project funded by the Embassy of the kingdom of Netherlands in Nigeria, has provided 10 solar-powered irrigation pumps to farmers in Kano, Ogun, Kaduna and Oyo states.
Since 2021, the Dutch-funded initiative has been a cornerstone in fostering a sustainable and inclusive horticulture sector, enhancing food and nutrition security across 10 local government areas in the four states.
The programme director, Mohammed Salasi in a statement to commemorate International Clean Energy Day, noted that the eco-friendly technology is not only a testament to HortiNigeria’s commitment to environmental stewardship but also a practical solution to two critical challenges in agriculture which include; limited water access and the rising costs of fuel for irrigation.
He stated that with focus on cabbage, cucumber, okro, tomatoes, pepper, carrots, watermelon, sweetcorn value chains, the programme had distributed 10 high-capacity solar irrigation pumps and educated over 50,000 farmers in sustainable practices, saying they had not only streamlined agricultural productivity but significantly reduced the carbon footprint of farming activities.
Salasi explained that as the programme progresses, they plan to expand the initiative and called on the federal, state and local governments to join in promoting renewable energy for a sustainable agricultural future.
