River Basins Urged To Step Up Agricultural Development In Nigeria

The Nigerian government has urged the management of River Basins in the country to step up effort in agricultural development.

The Minister of Water resource and Sanitation, Professor Terlumun Utsev, said that the various River Basin authorities have huge roles to play in boosting agriculture in Nigeria.

In a media round table in Abuja, Professor Utsev, said that his ministry has set up a monitoring and evaluation framework that includes the development of key performance and indicators for measuring the deliverables that will access the effectiveness of the irrigation strategies, track progress and achievements against set objectives.

According to Prof. Utsev, “government has the political will to boost agriculture, knowing the importance of the sector as a job creation one, urging investors to participate in the partial commercialisation of the river basins to ascertain their functionality and contribution to food security of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”

Utsev, equally said that governments plans in the coming year is to complete all ongoing projects and ensure that the priority areas of the mandate of the Ministry are to achieved in line with the renewed hope agenda of Mr President in the water and sanitation sector.

To this end, Prof Utsev appealed to the various State governors across Nigeria to contribute their quota by setting aside irrigable lands to boost agricultural production in the country.

Oyenike Oyeniyi