Highlights of the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage, 4-18 April 2025, Abuja, Nigeria

Brief Report of the 6th African egional Conference

The 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (ARCID) of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), organized by the Nigerian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (NINCID) under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation (FMWRS) in collaboration with the African Regional Working Group (AfRWG) of the ICID, was held at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja, Nigeria, West Africa, from April 14th to 18th, 2025.
The Conference was preceded by a Training Workshop for Young Professionals (YP) that took place on April 11th and 12th, 2025, followed by a Field Trip to the NFGCS Farm Estate GAATE in Kokona LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
The theme of the Conference was "Tackling Irrigation Development and Water Management Crisis in Africa." The Conference brought together 512 stakeholders and experts from African countries and other development partners, NGOs, and stakeholders to discuss pressing issues and explore adaptive strategies for climate-resilient irrigation systems. Participants shared experiences and case studies from African nations on successful irrigation projects, schemes, and policies. The discussions also focused on promoting regional and international cooperation, partnerships, and networking among key stakeholders, identifying capacity-building needs, and strategies for enhancing the skills and knowledge base of professionals in irrigation and drainage. Additionally, the Conference explored financing mechanisms and investment models for sustainable irrigation infrastructure development. Furthermore, the Conference featured a Women’s Session themed “Promoting Women Entrepreneurship in Irrigated Agriculture for a Resilient Food System in Africa,” during which two leading female farmers from two projects had the opportunity to share their experiences in farming activities since the intervention of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING Projects).

The opening ceremony, preceded by a welcome address and goodwill messages, was officially declared open by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who was ably represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Dr. George Akume, CON. 

The following links may be visited to view the different activities of the Conference:

President ICID Dr. Marco Arcieri, and Secretary General Dr. R.K. Gupta participated in the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage held from 14–18 April 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria. President ICID Dr. Marco Arcieri delivered the Welcome Address at the Conference's Opening Ceremony. President Dr. Marco Arcieri, along with Secretary General Dr. Gupta, also took part in a High-Level Dialogue on “Achieving SDGs in the context of transboundary water resources, governance, irrigation funding, and scale in Africa.” This panel included experts from FAO, IWMI, The World Bank, and the African Union, among others. For more information, please follow the ICID Social media page.