Emeka Aginam
16 April 2009
Agriculture remains the only hope of getting out of the global economic crisis in the country, according to Dr Abba Ruma, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources.
He said at the inauguration of the board of River Basin Development Authorities (RBDA) in Abuja on Tuesday that the sector offered opportunities for achieving food security in the country.
"In face of the global financial challenge and global warming, the only option and solution open to us is the utilisation of our water resources.
"Nigeria's water resources is put at more than 318 billion cubic metres, which is waiting to be harnessed and sufficiently utilised," he said. Ruma said utilisation of the nation's water resources potential in the face of climate change, would pose greater challenge for the new board members to meet set targets. He urged them to use the opportunities at their disposal to overcome the challenges of low production of food in the country. We still import fish in spite of our enormous water resources and potential.
How do we use our resources in fisheries to stop importation of fish as well as exporting?The Federal Government meant business in developing the agric sector, and achieving the target may not be easy as it is faced with the problem of promoting agric business from peasant to commercial agriculture," he added.
The minister said budgetry allocations to river basin authorities had increased from N11 billion to N17 billion, while funding for agriculture had also improved. He urged the board members to strive to meet the challenges and remove any distraction that would not make them to function well.Ruma said they should also avoid any conflict between the management of the River Basins, and not be distracted by unnecessary issues, particularly relating to procurement.
The minister urged the management teams of the river basin authorities to see the board members as policy drivers, while they should concern themselves with the day to day activities of the authorities.Responding on behalf of the board members, Mr Zanna Mamadi, Chairman, Chad Basin Development Authority, thanked the Federal Government for the opportunity given them to serve the nation.
He promised that they would collaborate with the management teams of the river basin aurthorities to efficiently use and develop the water resources potential of the country. The 12 chairmen and 60 board members were inaugurated for the 12 river basin authorities in the country.
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