FG seeks alternative sources of funding for river basin authorities 

Suleiman Adamu, the minister of water resources, says part of the reforms for the nation’s River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) is to seek alternative sources of funding to shore-up their revenue base and make them self-reliant.

He spoke at a three-day business implementation training on the partial commercialisation of four pilot RBDAs in Abuja.

Adamu (pictured) said the reform of the RBDAs was not privatisation but partial commercialisation to make them economically viable, self-reliant and sustainable.

He assured that the reform would cause no job losses, adding that the federal government was aware of the RBDA’s challenges.

Adamu commended the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the transaction adviser for organising the training aimed at building requisite capacity for the RBDAs staff and other relevant actors towards a successful commercialization of the pilot projects.

In his remark, Alex Okoh, the director general of BPE, said the FG is unwaveringly committed to the promotion of private sector participation in the operation, management and maintenance of the RBDAs without divesting its shares.

Four RBDAs namely: Ogun-Osun RBDA, Upper-Niger RBDA, Sokoto-Rima Basin RBDA and  Niger-Delta RBDA have been selected by the federal ministry of water resources in collaboration with the BPE for phased pilot partial commercialisation.