Senator sinks N22.5 million on 270 wells to boost dry season farming

Sen. Mustafah Bukar (APC/Katsina) has drilled 270 tube wells to boost irrigation farming across the 12 local government areas in his constituency, his media aide, Daifa Safiyanu, said on Saturday in Daura.

Safiyanu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 120 wells were drilled in the first phase in January, while 150 were drilled in the just-concluded second phase.

According to him, each of the wells gulped N150,000.

Safiyanu said that 12 tube wells were drilled in 10 local governments, while Daura and Kankiya got 15 wells each “considering the high number of irrigation farmers there”.

He said that each well had a water pumping machine with a pipe attached to it to facilitate maximum utilization, adding that a total of N22.5 million was invested in the facilities.

Safiyanu said that the senator’s goal was to promote agriculture, boost food security and generate employment.

“The senator has promised to empower more people to ensure self-reliance and minimise indolence,” he added.

Malam Nuhu Hassan, a resident of Daura and one of the beneficiaries, commended the senator for the kind gesture which he described as “very encouraging”.

He said that the gesture was unprecedented, and stressed the need for elective representatives to empower people “instead of giving them peanuts”.