By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Federal Government has said that it will soon commence implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system for irrigation service charge.
The TSA will be for the operation and maintenance of water User Association of Irrigation Schemes under Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria, TRIMING Project by July 1st this year.
The Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu said this during a stakeholders consultative meeting held in Kano towards smooth implementation of the TSA system.
Adamu represented by the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Emmanuel Awe, said efforts were on to roll out the process in accordance with the guidelines from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to ensure compliance to the system.
He also hinted that there may be a paradigm shift by the government to hands off either operation, maintenance or management of Irrigation Schemes, the Vanguard reports.
According to him, “it is in this regard that I communicated to the managing directors of the affected River Basin Development Authorities, RBDAs, Government’s intention to commence by July 1st, 2021 the implementation of the TSA system for the irrigation service charge for the operation and maintenance of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria, TRIMING Project irrigation schemes which will be domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“This means that Government will no longer be involved, either for operation, maintenance or management of irrigation and drainage facilities at any of the schemes the TRIMING project is currently working on.”
In his remarks, the National Project Coordinator, Triming Project, Engineer Peter Yakubu Manjuk said the project was the first attempt for Transforming public Irrigation Schemes in Nigeria aimed at boosting food production.
