Design of a Pedal-Powered Water Pump for Irrigation in Small-Scale Farms in Sokoto State

Small-scale irrigation remains an underdeveloped agricultural support strategy in the semi-arid North West zone of Nigeria, where reliance on rain-fed farming exposes farmers to perennial food insecurity. This study presents the design and fabrication of a pedal-powered water pump intended to support supplementary irrigation on small vegetable farms of up to one hectare in Sokoto State. The system converts the rotary motion of bicycle pedals into reciprocating pump action through a crank-and-slider mechanism connected to a double-acting piston cylinder. The pump was designed to draw water from shallow wells or stream diversions at depths up to 7 metres. Design calculations covered force requirements, mechanical advantage ratios, and material selection for the pump cylinder, piston seals, and frame structure. A working prototype was fabricated and field-tested on a demonstration farm in Kware local government area during the dry season, with measurements of discharge rate, suction head, and energy expenditure by the operator recorded. The pump achieved a mean discharge rate of 22 litres per minute against a 5-metre head, requiring an estimated pedalling effort equivalent to comfortable cycling speed. Irrigation tests confirmed that the pump could supply adequate water for a 500-square-metre vegetable plot within two hours of daily operation. Fabrication cost was 34,800 naira. The study supports the adoption of human-powered irrigation technologies for improving smallholder agricultural productivity in arid zones. Keywords: pedal-powered pump, small-scale irrigation, Sokoto State, arid zone agriculture, human-powered technology.