The Bakolori Irrigation Scheme with its project office in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State is one of the irrigation schemes under the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority. The Bakolori Dam commissioned in 1983, has a storage capacity of 450 million cubic meter of water and a lake area of 8,000ha.
It has capacity to generate 3MW of electricity with its two 1.5MW hydroelectric turbine installed since inception. It was originally built to irrigate 23000ha (out of which 8000ha is for surface irrigation and 15000ha for sprinkler irrigation system), The current intervention is about 13,000ha (rehabilitation and conversion from sprinkler) under full irrigation and drainage services.
Work Progress as at December 2021
The BIS contract consist of two Lots.
Lot 1 is Rehabilitation works that covers ten units namely, sectors C, 463ha; EL, 1239ha; ERU, 1055ha; ERD, 920ha; GRA, 713ha; GRB, 207ha; LRR, 215ha; LRL,172ha; MR, 950ha; NR, 1500ha . totaling about 7,434ha.
Lot 2, which is conversion, comprises of six units namely, sectors DS, 211ha; FSL, about 1500; FSR, about 1800ha; HS, 374ha; MS, 365ha and NS, 1075ha with total acreage of about 5,325ha.
As at Dec 2021, in Lot 1, six sectors, C, EL, GRA, GRB, ERU, ERD totaling about 4,597ha have been worked to substantial completion and handed over to the farmers for cropping. In Lot 2, one sector, DS, have been completed and handed over to the farmers while works are at advanced stage in three other sectors namely, HS, MS, and FSL.
(Source: Basin Level Coordinator for Bakolori Irrigation Scheme)