30 private companies to invest in river basins’ commercialization – Official
NAN-H-19
Commercialisation
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) No fewer than 30 private companies have signified interest in investing in the commercialization of the 12 river basin development authorities (RBDAs) to boost agriculture in the country.
Mr Francis Obiwe, Deputy Director, River Basins Operations in the Ministry of Water Resources, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in his broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 56th Independence Anniversary, said his administration was committed to reviving the 12 river basin authorities to boost agriculture.
Obiwe said that 30 applicants were being assessed by the ministry in partnership with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to make the process transparent.
The deputy director said the RBDAs were being revived for full commercialisation to achieve better crop production, aqua-culture and accelerated rural development.
“The commercialisation initiative will prevent the river basin authorities from relying on the lean budget of the government to carry out their business.
“The ministry is partnering with the BPE to work out the modalities that will make the RBDAs financially autonomous in their areas of operation, taking cognizance of their different conditions.
“Each river basin differs, based on agro-ecological or hydrological conditions such as rainfalls, rivers or the water bodies,” Obiwe said.
The deputy director also said the ministry was set to concession Goronyo, Oyan and Gurara dams to promote food security and socio-economic development in the country.
He said the private sector was being invited to share in governments’ risk and gains by investing in water resources.
According to the deputy director, the concession will place emphasis on the four major components of domestic water supply, irrigation, hydropower and industrial purposes.
He said that about 5,000 hectares of land would be set aside by the RBDAs for farming and aquaculture to boost revenue and create job opportunities.
“The Minister of Water Resources has directed all the RBDAs to set aside 5, 000 hectares of land for commercial farming, because the in-thing is commercialization.
“When there are functional RBDAs, they will bring development to the grassroots and discourage migration from the rural areas to the urban centres,”Obiwe said.
NAN reports that the affected River Basin Authorities include Anambra-Imo, Benin-Owena, Chad Basin, Cross River, Hadejia-Jama’are, Lower Benue and Lower Niger.
Others are Niger Delta, Ogun-Osun, Sokoto-Rima, Upper Benue and Upper Niger Basins. (NAN)
TAK/MO/WOJ
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(Edited by Morayo Omolade and controlled by Wale Ojetimi)