Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has called on the newly inaugurated board and executive management teams of the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) to chart a unified, forward-thinking course for the sector.
Speaking during a two-day inauguration and retreat in Abuja on Friday, Prof. Utsev urged the appointees to prioritize transparency, ethical governance, and collaborative leadership to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s water and agricultural resources.
“The time to transform the RBDAs is now,” the Minister declared, stressing the importance of innovation, accountability, and synergy between Boards and Executive Management. “We need to deliver real impact to farming communities through expanded irrigation and smart resource management.”
The retreat, themed around leadership, governance, and policy alignment, is aimed at preparing the new appointees to take ownership of key national development goals. It also introduced them to Federal Government initiatives like the Songhai Integrated Farming Model, the Graduate and Youth Empowerment Programme, the River Basin Strategy for Poverty Alleviation, and the Partial Commercialisation and Revitalisation Programme.
Prof. Utsev also highlighted the Federal Government’s recent approval of the Partial Commercialisation Programme for all 12 RBDAs, opening doors for increased public-private partnerships and sustainable growth.
He stated, “Appointees are expected to clearly understand the ethical rules and regulations for public office holders, to uphold integrity and accountability by ensuring honesty, fairness, and respect in their respective behaviours.
“Appointees are also required to understand the River Basin Act and Water Resources Master Plan, including related policies, to enable them to develop strategic direction and innovative ideas that would revolutionize the sector.
“It is very evident that in achieving the Presidential priority area for food security, there must be a deliberate commitment to expanding irrigated farms across all the RBDAs, which, in turn, are expected to encourage farmers within their communities to ensure all-season farming for increased food production.”
Key topics for discussion at the retreat include ethical leadership, policy understanding, expanded irrigation infrastructure, integrated basin management, inter-agency collaboration, and adoption of the new Performance Management System (PMS).
The Minister also encouraged appointees to strengthen engagement with state governments and explore innovative funding solutions to drive sector-wide transformation.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, described the retreat as a timely and strategic move to strengthen leadership, foster inter-agency collaboration, and align the RBDAs with national development priorities.
He congratulated the appointees and called for open dialogue, knowledge sharing, and renewed commitment to service delivery in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking on behalf of the National Assembly, Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation, Rt. Hon. Sada Soli, underscored the critical importance of Nigeria’s water resources, describing the sector as both complex and essential to national development.
He noted that beyond access to clean drinking water, the sector underpins agriculture, biodiversity, and economic growth. Soli also emphasized the role of research and innovation in advancing sustainable water management, reaffirming the unwavering support of the Senate and House Committees for the RBDAs.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Amos Yadukso, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, expressed gratitude to Minister Utsev and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the confidence reposed in the appointees. He assured stakeholders of the Board’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate with integrity and purpose.
Echoing this, Alh. Abubakar Malam, Managing Director of Sokoto Rima RBDA and Chairman of the Managing Directors Forum, reaffirmed the RBDAs’ readiness to deliver on their responsibilities. He pledged continued support for national goals, particularly in food security, rural development, and poverty reduction.
The event culminated in the formal inauguration of the new appointees and the official opening of the two-day strategic retreat by the Honourable Minister.