In many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the sustainable expansion of irrigated lands remains a challenge to food security and poverty alleviation goals. Until recently, irrigated agriculture was strongly, and almost exclusively supported by the State. With the rapid decline of public assistance to agricultural development, and more especially to the irrigation sub-sector, funding for the development, operation and maintenance of large-scale irrigation schemes has decreased significantly. Those government-managed scheme have generally performed far below expectations. Most of the time, their financial returns could not cover operation and maintenance (O&M) as well as the initial capital costs.

Meanwhile, privately developed and managed irrigation schemes in most of the SSA countries show that there is a business potential for private entrepreneur involvement in irrigation. This involvement varies from small-scale, informal urban and peri-urban agriculture initiatives developed by individuals or groups (including women's groups) to larger and well-equipped irrigated farms. Groups of farmers or water user associations (WUAs) that are successfully running parts of irrigation schemes for which responsibility was transferred to them by the Government can also be considered as operating private irrigation schemes.

Recent developments have shown the increasingly important role of new operators such as private irrigation services providers. In all of these initiatives, the availability of credit schemes is an important factor that can contribute significantly to the development of irrigation by private undertakers, be it at production level or up- and downstream of production.

The seminar intends to draw from people's experiences (positive and/or negative) with the development and management of private irrigated farms to formulate conclusions and recommendations to improve and accelerate the development of private irrigation in SSA. This will include recommendations on government policy.

Co-seminar organised in collaboration with: FAO, IWMI, IPTRID, Colombo Plan.