Assessment of Critical Success Factors in Agricultural Irrigation Projects in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria

Agricultural irrigation projects are central to food production in arid North West Nigeria, yet a systematic understanding of their critical success factors from a project management perspective is lacking. This study assesses the critical success factors in agricultural irrigation projects in Sokoto State. A descriptive survey will recruit 150 irrigation engineers, project managers, farmers, and Sokoto River Basin Development Authority officers from six irrigation schemes across Sokoto, Shagari, and Wamakko. A structured questionnaire will assess success factors across project planning, water management, community involvement, infrastructure quality, and post-completion maintenance. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis will identify and rank critical success factors. Literature from North West Nigeria's irrigation sector highlights poor scheme maintenance, limited farmer training, and infrastructure damage from seasonal flooding as key obstacles to long-term project success. Findings will guide the Sokoto River Basin Development Authority and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in future project design and implementation frameworks. Keywords: critical success factors, irrigation projects, Sokoto State, agricultural development, North West Nigeria