The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has conducted a four-day training programme on climate-smart irrigation and modern agricultural practices for farmers across 16 local government areas of Kano South Senatorial District.
The training which brought together 208 participants, including smallholder farmers, extension agents, and local government agricultural officials held its closing session in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State.
- IITA, partners showcase high-yield soybean variety at Malawi field da
- EXCLUSIVE: How INRAE drives climate-smart agriculture solutions for Africa
Solacebase reports that the sessions were conducted across four centres—Sumaila, Garko, Tudun Wada, and Karaye.
Speaking at the closing session, IITA Research Supervisor, Hassan Joel, who represented the project coordinator, Professor Lucky Omoigui, urged farmers to apply the knowledge gained to address challenges posed by climate change.
He explained that the programme, implemented in collaboration with the Ecological Project Office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, aimed to sensitise farmers to the effects of climate change and provide practical solutions.
According to him, participants were trained on tackling issues such as drought, soil infertility, and environmental hazards.
Farmers were also introduced to improved crop varieties, including soybean, cowpea, maize, groundnut, sorghum, and rice—many of which are resistant to harsh climatic conditions.
Joel disclosed that the next phase of the initiative would involve establishing Farmer Field Schools during the farming season, where practical demonstrations would allow farmers to compare yields between improved and local crop varieties.
Also speaking, Amin Idris Yusuf, a facilitator and engineer with the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), encouraged farmers to adopt climate-smart irrigation techniques introduced during the training.
He highlighted modern irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler methods as efficient ways to improve water usage and crop yields. He also recommended the use of solar-powered irrigation systems as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to fuel-powered pumps.
Yusuf further emphasised the importance of afforestation, urging farmers to plant trees to mitigate environmental challenges and improve soil quality.
He warned that increasing global food insecurity makes it necessary for farmers to adopt improved agricultural practices to boost productivity.
Joel reiterated that the programme focuses on climate-smart agriculture aimed at enhancing food security, increasing farmers’ income, and promoting environmental sustainability.
He added that the training was uniformly delivered across all centres to ensure equal knowledge transfer.
One of the participants, Safiya Kamal, expressed appreciation for the initiative, describing it as timely and impactful in addressing climate-related agricultural challenges in the region.
 has conducted a four-day training programme on climate-smart irrigation and modern){kind=link}