Plenary sessions will discuss keynote papers, case studies and adopt seminar recommendations.

Working groups will discuss critical issues and related recommendations.

Participants from Asia will enable sharing of experiences.

Topic 1: Small-case, informal irrigation
Spontaneous development of small-scale irrigated areas in urban, peri-urban and rural areas has generally been undertaken privately by individuals and groups. One of the important issues of this type of irrigation is the insecure land tenure. Farmers may be expelled at any time from the land they hold and, therefore, can hardly make any investment for equipment or in land improvement. While land and water availability and labour are limiting factors for this type of irrigation, available low-cost technology for small-scale irrigation can reduce water consumption as well as labour. Other limiting factors are water quality, especially in urban areas, lack of technical and managerial skills, lack of access to effective agricultural support services and, especially to credit, lack of economic and environmental sustainability.

Topic 2. Emerging Commercial Irrigated Farming
In many African countries, there are hardly any medium-scale, irrigated commercial farms. Irrigation systems are therefore polarised between a few, large-scale government schemes and numerous very small independent irrigation perimeters.

In general, emerging farmers have limited financial resources to invest in fixed capital. However, the risks that an over-simplified low-cost system does not provide the necessary returns or may damage the environment and jeopardise sustainability should be assessed carefully.

On the contrary, commercial farmers generally have or can acquire the financial resources and technical knowledge needed to establish medium-and/or large scale irrigation and drainage systems. Most of them produce cash crops for export or local agricultural industries. This could be the ultimate stage of the development of emerging farmers.

In some countries, nucleus outgrower schemes are associated with the concept of commercial irrigated farming when there is a viable cash crop involved, and usually, also, processing. The development modalities and performance of such outgrower schemes also contribute to the expansion of irrigation.

Topic 3. Sustainable Irrigation Management Transfer
The transfer of irrigation management responsibilities from the state to water users or other non-governmental entities has many motivations and outcomes. This seminar will lay emphasis on those cases where individual farmers or groups of farmers have successfully managed part or the whole of such schemes. The promotion of private irrigation can learn a lot from the necessary conditions, which support viable locally-managed irrigation.

Topic 4. Enabling Environment and Emergence of New Operators
In most cases, a positive enabling environment appears to be a prerequisite for sustainable development of irrigation. Such an environment should provide the necessary economic policy and legal framework for private sector investment in the provision of efficient, cost-effective and timely service to farmers. In this framework, special attention should be given to the emerging new operators, i.e., private irrigation services providers, be it up- or downstream of production. They are strictly private undertakers that manufacture, sell or hire irrigation equipment and/or provide technical advisory services and/or provide irrigation water directly to the farmers' fields. The role of NGOs can play in this regards should also be emphasised.

Tentative programme outline

Day 1
8:30 - 9:30		Registration
Session 1
9:30 - 10:00		Opening ceremony
10:00 - 10:30		Coffee break
Session 2 - Theme 1: Small-scale, Informal Irrigation Systems
10:30 - 11:00		Keynote paper 1; Moïse Sonou: general overview (irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa - status, problems and outlook)
11:00 - 13:00		Plenary presentation of case studies (10 to15 minutes each, +10 min. discussion) S. Bangoura: Developpement de l'irrigation privee en appui a la securite alimentaire en Afrique de l'Ouest R. J. Chitsiko: Socio-economic impact assessment of small-holder irrigation schemes in Zimbabwe. F. Gadelle: Experience of WB private irrigation projects in Burkina Faso, Mali,Mauritania and Niger. Nico van Leeuwen: Small Scale Drip irrigation - Potentials and Constraints B. Barry: Development of urban and peri-urban agriculture in West Africa
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch break
14:00 - 14:40		plenary presentation of case studies continued B. van Koppen: Women in irrigation in Africa: Potentials, constraints and performance indicator. Felicity Chancellor: Women irrigators and Operation and Maintenance of Small-Scale, Small-holder schemes in Africa.
Session 3 - Theme 2: Irrigation Management Transfer
14:40 - 15:10		Keynote paper 2; Douglas Merrey
15:10 - 15:50		Coffee break
16:10 - 17:10		Plenary presentation of case studies (10 to 15 minutes each; covering examples and perspectives from Asia, and Africa). M. Samad: Irrigation Management Transfer in Asia: Populism and realities. Rigourd/Hermiteau: Best Practices project in West Africa. Ibrahima DIA: case study in Senegal C. Kabutha: The unresolved case of the Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
17:10 - 18:00		discussion of the case studies
18:30 - 20:00		Welcome reception
Day 2
Session 4 - Theme 3: Commercial Irrigation Farming
8:30 - 9:00		Keynote paper 3: tbd
9:00 - 9:30		Discussion
9:30 - 10:30		Plenary presentation of case studies (20 minutes each) Agodzo: Banana plantation at Kpong in Ghana. T. Shah: Indian experience with private tube-well companies. A..Freeman: Commercialization of small-holder irrigation: Economic and social implication in semi-arid areas of eastern Kenya. EnterpriseWorks Appropriate Technology Interventions: Capitalizing on favorable conditions for irrigated horticulture in West Africa.
10:30 - 10:45		Coffee break
10:45 - 12:00		Discussion of case studies
12:00 - 13:30		Lunch break
Session 5 - Theme 4: Enabling Environmental and Emergence of New Operators
13:30 - 15:30		Keynote paper 4: Financing of Irrigation Charles Albernethy
15:30 - 16:00		discussion
16:00 - 16:15		Coffee break
16:15 - 17:15		plenary session: presentation of case studies S.S. Abubakar: Individual pump ownership and associated service providers in Fadama Irrigation: The case of Nigeria Van't Hoff/Arby: Irrigation service providing schemes: The hippo pump renting scheme in Mali C. Aeschliman: Reflexions on irrigation finance in Africa. F. Hollinger: Case study from Bolivia H.Sally: Financing irrigation: A case in Niger. I. Kolton: Netafim
16:45 - 17:30		plenary - discussion of the case studies
Day 3 -Working groups sessions
Session 6
8:30 - 10:30		Panel discussion on Sustainable Private irrigation, Food Security and Export Earnings: Challenges and Perspectives for a Sustainable Agricultural Development in Africa
10:30 - 11:00		Coffee break
Session 7
11:00 - 12:30		Working groups sessions Group 1: Small scale irrigation systems for food security and poverty reduction in Africa Group 2: Irrigation systems transfer within the context of state withdrawal and decentralization in Africa Group 3: Promotion and development of private and commercial irrigation systems in Africa
12:30 - 14:00		Working groups sessions (continued)
14:30 - 16:00		Working groups sessions (continued)
16:00 - 16:15		Coffee break
16:15 - 17:30		Working groups sessions (continued)
Day 4 - Working groups sessions (continued)
Session 8
8:30 - 10:30		Working groups sessions (continued)
10:30 - 11:00		Coffee break
11:00 - 12:30		plenary session: Adoption of the Working groups reports
12:30 - 15:30		Lunch break
15:30 - 16:30		Closing Ceremony
Day 5 - Field Trip & Participants' departure
8:30 - 10:00		Trip to Akossombo
10:00 - 12:00		Field visit
12:00 - 14:00		Lunch break at Akossombo
14:00 - 16:00		Field visit (continued)
17:30		Back to Accra