The Federal Government has inspected the World Bank’s 5,000 hectares of irrigable farmland project site in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, and other officials inspecting the site of the project said it was in continuation of a nationwide Water and Sanitation project.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said that the 5,000-hectare Katsina-Ala irrigable farmland, when completed, will generate gainful employment for teeming youths and significantly boost food production through year-round farming with improved yields.

He disclosed this when he recently inspected the site of the project with some top officials of the Ministry when they inspected the Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria (SPIN) Project in Katsina-Ala, the ongoing Federal Government construction of the Ugbema Semi-Urban Water Project, and the upgrading of the Buruku/Gboko Water Supply Scheme in Benue State.

Utsev explained that the inspection was designed to ascertain the progress of work in all the project sites initiated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to reposition economic development in rural communities.

He noted that the project, when fully developed, would generate employment opportunities for about 2,000 youths in the area.

According to him, “ other state governments can leverage the opportunities provided by the World Bank-supported SPIN Programme and key into the initiative without delay”.

He added that there are other ongoing dam and irrigation projects in Benue State, including Wannune, Amgbo, Atee, Dura, and Amla dams, as well as the hectares of irrigable farmland in Makurdi.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, and some Technical Directors of the Ministry, while inspecting the ongoing Federal Government’s 30,000-litre capacity Semi-Urban Water Project at Ugbema, Mbaakura Ward, Buruku Local Government Area, which was flagged off a few months ago, said that the Government was determined to make life better for the poor masses.

While appreciating President Tinubu for the initiative, the Head of Ugbema Mbaakura Ward, Chief Zaki Ager, who spoke in Tiv, said the water project would not only provide potable water to the community but also permanently address the long-standing water challenges previously faced by residents.