Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Vol. 4(20), pp. 542-551, December 2012 Available online http:// academicjournals.org/JAERD DOI: 10.5897/JAERD12.042 ISSN 2141-2154 ©2012 Academic Journals Review Linking institutions and neighborhood communities with irrigation; A theoretical framework for sustainable agriculture Michael A. Nwachukwu 1*, and Celestine C. Egwuonwu 2 1Department of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, Nigeria. 2Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, Nigeria. Accepted 12 July, 2012 In this paper, effort has been made to link human resources in three institutions and their neighborhood communities with irrigation, for sustainable agriculture. Damming the Otamiri River in Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and linking with the Polytechnics in Umuagwo and Nekede, and their neighborhood communities for on-demand irrigation is a sustainable development program. The present system of rain-fed subsistence farming neither satisfies the teaching and research needs of these institutions, nor the food supply needs of the communities. Students and staff of agriculture and agricultural technology in the three institutions numbering over 4000 will provide the expertise and workforce. Nekede, Ihiagwa, Obinze, Eziobodo, Emeabiam, and Umuagwo being the major neighborhood communities, have over 5000 ha of arable land. Of the 120,000 estimated human populations of the neighborhood communities, more than half are peasant farmers who will complement the program workforce. This theoretical framework is practicable; it will support research in soil decontamination, student on-campus job, student enrolment in agricultural studies, and poverty alleviation. By this framework, the soil, food production processes, and the Otamiri River watershed will be under pollution control. Key words: Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), polytechnics, communities, Otamiri River, dam, sustainable development. INTRODUCTION Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Emeabiam with a population over 10,000, Umuagwo with Federal Polytechnic, Nekede (POLYNEK), and Imo State a population of about 12,00, and Obinze with about Polytechnic, Umuagwo (IMOPOLY), have increasing 15,000 people. FUTO, IMOPOLY (former college of student population, presently over 35000. Out of this agriculture), and POLYNEK are close to each other in population, students of agriculture and agricultural Imo state, Nigeria (Figure 1), and are regarded as being technology are over 4000. These institutions have large in one county (Figure 2). These institutions emphasize neighborhood communities comprising Ihiagwa with a producing graduates detailed in agriculture and population of about 23,000; Nekede with a population of agricultural technology in their academic curricula. about 20,000; Eziobodo with population of about 10,000; Unfortunately, they have produced graduates in various agricultural disciplines over the years without irrigation facilities for sustainable agricultural practices. This is a theoretical sustainability study designed to *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: improve teaching and research, as well as food +2348163308776. production in the affected area. Sustainability studies of Nwachukwu et al. 543 A B Figure 1. ( a) Showing the study area (Imo state); Nigeria 36 states and Abuja; (b) continental and global location this nature may not comply with the traditional sub- Mbaise, Orlu, Mbano and Mbaitoli areas. The population headings of method of study, and results. In this study, density is much more within Owerri because of the method and the results are embodied in the urbanization and presence of higher institutions. This hypothesis and research framework. GUPES (2011), high population density has led to intensified pressure on Pidlisnyuk, (2010), and UNEP (2005) highlighted available farmland, forests and other natural resources, universities as key resources for sustainable knowledge, leading to increasing rural poverty. Fallow period rarely and bridging the gap between research and policy. They exceeds one year and in some areas, there is continuous agree that the philosophy of present classroom translates cropping. Low crop yield and loss of land to erosion have into the philosophy of future governments’. They also combined to induce people to migrate in search of jobs maintain that the shortage of appropriately trained work and even farmland in other parts of the country. force, limited knowledge on the subject of sustainability, FUTO, IMOPOLY and POLYNEK, and their and lack of exposure are key challenges constraining neighborhood communities, have large proportion of Imo most sustainability programs. state arable land. The neighborhood population, According to Iván del Callejo and Vladimir (2009), predominantly subsistence peasant farmers, will benefit concerns, arguments, and approaches to sustainability from the linkage program in reward for giving out their are exposed in both scientific and technical irrigation land for two federal, and one state owned high literature. This literature is based on the priority of food institutions. Walters (2006) described subsistence production and water preservation as a basic resource. peasants farming as the dominant mode of food They identified different approaches related to production in the world until recently when market based sustainable irrigated agriculture beyond the technical capitalism became widespread. Market based capitalism considerations of irrigation. They placed emphasis on is present in Imo state, but a change from subsistence socio-economic and institutional aspects of irrigation peasant farming is far from visualization or actualization. management. Imo state is located in the southeast region of Nigeria, with Owerri as its capital and largest city Benefits (Figure 1a). Presently, Imo state has twenty-seven local government areas (Figure 2b). The state occupies the The subject of sustainable development has been 34 th position in land mass and about the 13 th in human extensively debated over the last two decades. Dams population among the 36 states in Nigeria (Figure 1a). have solved many problems of communities and have Imo state has a population of over 2,485,499 million provided basis for economic development that has people. The population density varies from 230 persons sustained itself. Employment opportunities have been km -2 in Oguta, Ohaji-Egbema, and parts of Owerri west generated, incidence of poverty has been reduced, rural local government areas, to about 1,400 persons km -2 in population including nomads has been stabilized locally 544 J. Agric. Ext. Rural Dev. A B Figure 2. ( a) Map of Owerri West showing Otamiri River FUTO, POLYNEK and IMOPOLY; b) Map of Imo state showing Owerri West and other county area. and migration of rural unemployed population to urban technology, irrigation training and practice is essential. centers has been reversed. Adams (1991) saw irrigation as a modernizing 'technofix' Irrigation has made a great impact in the northern solution to perceived development problems of Nigeria, and other parts of Africa (Norman, 1996). environment and economy. This served to legitimize Irrigation has also gained prominence and made continued investment and focus of attention to small- successful impact in other parts of the world, notably scale irrigation. Ogunjimi and Adekalu (2002) described India, Afghanistan, Syria, United States of America, "Fadama" small-scale irrigation as a basic source of food, Germany, Israel, Australia, etc., to mention but a few income, and employment, especially for women in the (McConnell and Czemerda, 2003). Ultimately, the "slack" period of rain-fed agriculture. However, erosion development and application of irrigation techniques will during the rainy season, coupled with continuous use of contribute to the enhancement of water use efficiency, land in the study area, causes low fertility they added. the sustainability of water resource utilization, the increase of agricultural production and farm income, hence, the empowerment of rural and urban communities Hypothesis in the region. In a tropical rain forest belt of the study area, rainfall is If the present system of agricultural practices in FUTO, a major source of water for plant growth. However, its the Polytechnics at Umuagwo and Nekede, and the occurrence and intensity vary a great deal. Crops need a neighborhood communities is subsistence and particular quantity of water at different stages of their unsustainable despite the vast arable land, then growth to be able to have an optimum productivity. damming the Otamiri River in FUTO is a welcome Because rainfall will not supply the required quantity at all development. Pumping water from the dam reservoir to times, a supplementary source of supply is inevitable. an irrigation service station located at the headwork in This is where irrigation comes into play to supply the FUTO will support an irrigation canal from FUTO, water required to fill the gap created by inefficient water traversing Ihiagwa, Eziobodo, Oklochi, Emeabiam, to supply by rainfall. In institutions like FUTO and IMOPOLY Umuagwo. This canal will enable irrigation farm practice that are detailed in agriculture and agricultural by students of agriculture from the three institutions, and Nwachukwu et al. 545 Figure 3. Arial view of a section of the Otamiri river in FUTO sustainable farming