REVIEW OF IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - Sustainable Irrigation Development in the White Volta Sub-Basin - page 66

Finally, farmers are sometimes faced with certain technical challenges such as
diseases, pest, low yields and poor water management that require technical
advice to address them. Thus the availability of reliable technical advisory
services such as extension services or farmer advisory centre is equally
needed.
An enabling environment where all these supports are accessible by farmers
is important for sustainable and successful irrigation development.

3.5.3 Impact of Success Factors on some

Irrigation Schemes/Systems in sub-Saharan
Africa

The five success factors identified in the previous section are tested on
selected irrigation schemes. These success factors are tested on a scale of
weak, intermediate and strong. Irrigation schemes were selected from across
sub-Saharan Africa, whereby the availability of detailed information on
prevailing conditions was an important criterion. They include the Office du
Niger irrigation scheme under two different periods (1932-1982 and 1982-
present), the Niger Valley irrigation schemes, the Sakassou Rice irrigation
system in Cote d'Ivoire, the Ng'uuru Gakirwe irrigation system in Kenya,
the Mukuria-Kyambogo group irrigation scheme in Kenya, the Community
Empowerment Irrigation Project in Northwest Somalia and, finally, the
Usangu irrigation system in Tanzania.
The results are summarised in Table 3.2, and show (1) that these five factors
are relevant; and (2) that the irrigation schemes/systems are as successful as
the weakest of the five factors identified. The successful irrigation schemes
and systems have been tagged as bright spots of irrigation development
across sub-Saharan Africa (Penning de Vries et al., 2005).

3.6 C ONCLUSIONS

Irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa begun in the pre-colonial
era and have continued through the colonial and post-colonial era. In
the last two decades a significant amount of irrigation in sub-Saharan
Africa has been developed by private commercial farmers, outgrower
farmers, small-holder individuals and communities as well as non-
governmental organisations. These sources of investment have mostly
dictated the kinds of management system adopted. There appears to
be few success stories of government-led irrigation schemes as
compared to other irrigation systems across sub-Saharan Africa.