The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) is the leading techno-scientific non-governmental and non-profit international organization dedicated to improving water and land management to enhance the worldwide supply of food and fiber for humankind. The Commission’s valued objective is “to stimulate and promote the development and application of arts, sciences, and techniques of engineering, agriculture, economics, ecology, and social science in managing water and land resources for irrigation, drainage, flood control, and river training, alongside related research”.

The ICID was first established in 1951 and currently has a membership of over 100 countries spread over all the continents including the most extensively irrigated countries of China, India, USA, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Iran, Mexico, and Russia.

The Commission operates through Regional Bodies composed of a network of National Committees of Irrigation and Drainage, one for each member country, and serves the world’s foremost and most basic enterprise of agriculture nourished through the irrigation infrastructure. The Commission tackles the present-day as well as futuristic issues related to irrigation and drainage through several of its work bodies. These work bodies in specialized subject fields deliberate and bring out useful publications, thus setting out guidelines for improved performance of irrigation systems as well as optimal utilization of resources and inputs, thereby paving the way for enhanced agricultural productivity across the irrigated areas.

The inter/exchange of information on irrigation and drainage between the member nations for their mutual benefit is one of the Commission’s important objectives. Such a two-way flow of information brings to the notice of member countries the advancements made in various areas of irrigation and drainage technology in other parts of the world from where others can learn and possibly adopt based on their peculiar situation

Nigeria joined ICID in 1970, and since then, has continued to participate actively in ICID activities through the Nigerian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (NINCID), which the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources) chairs. NINCID coordinates ICID activities in Nigeria and has since then hosted the ICID community in Nigeria twice: the first was in 1979 in Lagos and the second, was in 1999 in Abuja.