Design of a Solar-Powered Water Pumping System for Smallholder Irrigation in Jigawa State

Background: Access to affordable water pumping for dry season irrigation is a limiting factor for smallholder agriculture in Jigawa State, North West Nigeria, where diesel fuel costs are prohibitive. Solar-powered pumping offers a cost-effective, fuel-free alternative. Aim: This project designed and evaluated a solar-powered water pumping system for smallholder irrigation in Jigawa State. Methods: A 200W PV array drove a 12V DC brushless submersible pump through an MPPT charge controller. System components were sized using the PVSyst simulation tool for Jigawa's irradiance conditions. Field testing was conducted over six weeks on a 0.8-hectare onion farm. Results: The system delivered a mean daily water volume of 14,600 litres under typical irradiance conditions. Pumping cost was estimated at NGN 0.8 per litre compared with NGN 4.2 per litre for diesel pumping. Crop yield on the solar-irrigated plot was 11% higher than the control plot. Conclusion: Solar water pumping is economically and agronomically superior to diesel pumping for Jigawa smallholder farming. The study recommends a government subsidy programme to accelerate adoption of solar pumping across the North West irrigated agriculture sector. Keywords: solar pumping, irrigation, smallholder, Jigawa State, MPPT.