Executive directors of Nigeria's River Basin Development Authorities have said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's agricultural interventions have eased farming activities and reduced food prices nationwide.
Speaking on behalf of the newly formed River Basin Forum, Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, Executive Director, Finance, at the Hadejia Jama'are River Basin Development Authority, said government support in irrigation and input distribution had boosted production and lowered costs for millions of farmers.
"We who are at the centre of the agricultural venture because of our roles in ensuring smooth water supplies to farmers are the rightful people to showcase what President Tinubu has done in the last three years," Kwankwaso said.
He pointed to rice as an example, claiming that the price of a bag had dropped from over N100,000 to a little above N50,000 due to government interventions.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
"This could not have been possible without the support of the government," he added.
Kwankwaso explained that fertiliser distribution through state governments had been central to the food security drive.
"In Kano, for example, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has secured hundreds of tonnes of fertiliser and distributed it to farmers at subsidised prices. The same thing is happening across Nigeria," he said.
The Forum, chaired by Dahiru Hammandilko of the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, brings together senior officials from across the country.
Other executives include Sowede Oluwalayode of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority as Secretary; Dr Abubakar A. Kudi of the North Central Basin as Financial Secretary; Asadu Evaristus of the Anambra-Imo Basin as Organising Secretary; and Felix Kurogha of the Niger Delta Basin as Public Secretary.
Kwankwaso said the Forum would work to mobilise more than 20 million farmers who had benefited from federal programmes, stressing that river basin authorities played a central role in water supply and irrigation, which were critical to sustaining agricultural productivity.
Dr Innocent Moses Ogbin, state project coordinator said the project is to last for six years, disclosing that it is aimed at engaging youths and young women in the nine Niger Delta States in agricultural incubation model, and its value chain.
He said federal government obtained a loan of $60 million from LIFAD, a branch of the UN, for the project.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Commending the sponsors for the great opportunity to boost agriculture and enhance the earnings and skills of the incubates, commissioner for agriculture and irrigation, Johnson Ebokpo, represented by Dr Odey Ikongha, told them that it is a great opportunity for them to improve their livelihoods and standard of living.
