The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has expressed support for the strategic direction and proposed engineering initiatives of the Kano State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) Project.
The Emir made his position known during a high-level technical and stakeholder engagement with the Kano SPIN team and members of the Kano Emirate Council, which lasted about two hours.
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The State Project Coordinator, Engr. Nuraddeen Isah Abubakar, led the team that presented proposed engineering concepts aimed at modernising irrigation infrastructure, rehabilitating dams and strengthening water resources management in Kano State.
The presentation also featured the proposed Kano State Integrated Water Resources Monitoring System (KS-IWRMS), designed to support data-driven planning, monitoring and management of water resources.
Other components of the proposed irrigation modernisation programme include modern open-channel irrigation systems, decentralised sprinkler irrigation schemes, advanced grazing systems and modern dam instrumentation for real-time dam safety monitoring.
The Kano SPIN team also presented an Irrigation Intelligence Monitoring System developed by the SPIU to improve irrigation performance monitoring and support evidence-based decision-making.
The State Project Coordinator further outlined three strategic plans of the unit: the Kano SPIN Project Implementation Acceleration Plan, the Kano SPIN Investment Portfolio Expansion Plan and the Kano SPIN Special Project Integration and Management Plan.
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The Emir, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, commended the progress recorded by the Kano SPIN team and its broader vision of using the project to drive irrigation development, agricultural productivity, sustainable power and investment in the state.
He pledged to support the Kano SPIN Project and lead engagements at local and international levels to attract additional investment, development financing and strategic partnerships for irrigation and agricultural development in Kano State.
The Emir also proposed the establishment of a high-level multi-stakeholder platform, which he offered to lead, bringing together relevant state and federal institutions, development finance institutions and private-sector stakeholders.
According to him, the platform would help strengthen coordination between Kano State’s emerging economic blueprint and master plan and investment and project-development opportunities being pursued through the SPIN Project.
Drawing on his experience in economics, banking, investment and risk management, Emir Sanusi also offered to provide strategic advisory support to the Kano SPIU in the areas of finance, investment and risk management.
He further expressed willingness to facilitate engagements with institutions and investors, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), African Development Bank, relevant federal ministries, departments and agencies, as well as private-sector investment networks.
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The engagement is expected to strengthen efforts to position irrigation, water resources management and sustainable power as key drivers of agricultural productivity, employment and economic development in Kano State.
The Kano SPIN team says its long-term vision is to move beyond conventional project implementation towards an integrated, technology-driven irrigation and water resources management system capable of attracting private investment, creating jobs and supporting sustainable economic growth in the state.