Making sense of Irrigation Technology lethargy in Africa, despite high potential

The daily worsening climate extremes, especially of drought, has popularized irrigation at policy and technical agendas and has indeed garnered unprecedented political will throughout the African continent.

However, such popularity is yet to translate to practical utility at the grassroots’ where, owing largely to ignorance of its cost-benefit profitability as opposed to alternative investment portfolios, irrigation remains at best an investment preserve for an elite group of locals, donor Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) and overseas agricultural investors.

Food security remains a fundamental matter for the vast reaches of the African continent, in which annually, thousands of households are affected with hunger. This is proof, if it be required, that rudimentary agriculture, rain-dependent and seasonal, can no longer meet even the basic food, fiber and fuel demands at household levels.

For Africa therefore, strategic direction must point to the adoption of irrigation technology, based on the premise that dependence on agriculture is subject to control of it.

Irrigation is a classic technology that meets this ideal in its even most basic capabilities. Africa’s abundant surface and groundwater bodies and land expanses, including the large labor force of its youth ranks, is well documented as one of the highest potentials for irrigation development.

These constitute a critical mass of human and material resource, the primary requirements for technological diffusion and sustainability. They are Africa’s grand opportunity to reclaim from nature, control of her agriculture.

Controversy continues to lurk in intellectual discourse regarding why despite the hype about its vast potential, irrigation is not taking concrete rot en masse in Africa, but general consensus maintains the urgency for it .

Drought continues to adversely impact the quality, quantity and continuity of agricultural production greater Africa. Indeed, it is a recurrent recipe for disaster in Africa’s rural settings, and it can only be defeated by irrigation, following a paradigm shift, and the building of a new agricultural consciousness.

In helps that contrary to several misconceptions, the economics of even the smallest irrigation structure which moreover retains and utilizes rather than trades off land, is actually far more profitable than the majority of ventures many a rural African youth is today engaged in.

Moreover, technology appeals to young people. And Africa’s rural youth already have a demonstrated interest. This locally explains for example, the enthusiasm with which Africa’s have embraced the purchase of smart phones. Yes, about all brands of smart phones are imported from overseas, and they are aggressively used in Africa.

If demystified and access to it enabled, this can be even truer for irrigation technology, for it is not just a more attractive, but also more profitable technological opportunity. And moreover, is consistent to the urgent need of the moment, for Africa as a continent.