Uptake and profitability of small-scale irrigation in the Sahel: insights from the literature and survey data

This paper analyses the uptake, profitability, and challenges of small-scale irrigation (SSI) in the Sahel, focusing on data from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. Unlike previous research on irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it differentiates between farmer-led SSI (FSSI) and non-farmer-led SSI (NFSSI) and analyses labour profitability of SSI. Inverse probability weighing is used to balance covariates between compared groups of small-scale irrigators. The results show low SSI adoption rates in the Sahel, ranging from 4 % in Burkina Faso and Niger to 10 % in Senegal and 12 % in Mali. Profitability analysis shows that SSI is a more profitable land use activity compared to rainfed cropping. However, the two approaches complement each other as SSI mainly occurs during the dry season in the Sahel. FSSI is more profitable than NFSSI except in Mali where NFSSI has historically been a pathway to irrigation development through public irrigation schemes targeting rice cultivation. However, FSSI has higher variable costs. Results further show that for SSI, irrigated high-value crops such as vegetables are more profitable and require less land than the traditionally promoted rice. Finally, this study emphasizes that investments in irrigation should consider the unique characteristics and variability within SSI, distinguishing between farmer-led and non-farmer-led approaches, as well as the differences between SSI and non-SSI, composed of larger-scale irrigation and non-irrigation. • Small-scale irrigation (SSI) uptake is less pronounced in Niger and Burkina Faso. • Investing in farmer-led SSI (FSSI) can foster SSI expansion in the Sahel. • Solar-powered irrigation technologies could mitigate the variable costs of FSSI. • Sahel’s irrigation investments should prioritize high-value crops to increase productivity.