The federal ministry of water resources, in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), has selected four river basin development authorities (RBDAs), namely Ogun Osun RBDA, Upper Niger RBDA, Sokoto Rima RBDA and Niger Delta RBDA on a pilot phase for partial commercialization.
Delivering his key note address at the opening ceremony of “business improvement training in Abuja, the minister of water resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, stated that it has become imperative for the federal government to seek alternative sources of funding in order to shore up the revenue base of the river basin development authorities and make them self-reliant.
He added that the RBDAs have the potential to generate revenue for themselves for the conduct of their operations.
Adamu also noted that the federal government was not unaware of the challenges facing the RBDAs, which include financial indebtedness, paucity of funds, inadequate personnel, equipment and operational capacities.
The minister explained that the idea is not just to privatise the river basin development authorities but to make them to become more relevant in relation to national development in such areas as poverty eradication through agriculture.
He reiterated that the river basin development authorities, following their commercialization, now have a golden opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the reform agenda of the Buhari Administration through integrated river basin management as a vehicle for enhancing food security, job and wealth creation, as encapsulated in the economic recovery and growth plan of the government.
He maintained that Nigeria’s economy offers a wide range of investment opportunities in key sectors, while the national priority as envisioned by the present administration is to increase local agricultural production so that Nigerians can buy and eat what they produce.
The director general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Alex . Okoh, in his welcome address, reiterated the federal government’s unwavering commitment to promoting private sector participation in the operation, management and maintenance of RBDAs without divesting its shares.
“The federal government of Nigeria is also eager to develop and manage the country’s water resources, with special emphasis on optimizing irrigation potentials for farming and agriculture on a commercial basis and to fulfil the underlying objectives of food and water sufficiency,” he concluded.
