As president Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government had resolved to diversify economy and make certain agriculture would no longer be a mere project but a sector to be heavily invested in, exceptional policies on reviving agriculture especially in rice farming has been implemented. To this end, the federal government had evolved measures to discourage importation of rice by putting in place the mechanisms that will ensure the country grow sufficient rice for local consumption and to guaranty that the nation’s food security would no longer be at risk.

It is on this premise that the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, being one the agencies of the federal government saddled with the responsibility of fulfilling the mandate of economic diversification, has taken enormous strides toward these noble projects by going into private public partnership on rice farming with state governments, private organizations and individual farmers.

Currently, Ejiba, Shoga and Lokoja area offices of the Authority are massively engaged in rice farming activities. In Ejiba area office alone, the Authority in collaboration with Kogi state government under its Agricultural programs, private organisations and individual farmers had made use of over five hundred (500) hectares of land for rice planting, with fifty four (54) tons of paddy rice harvested per one hectare (amounting to about 27,000 tons of paddy rice all together) while one thousand, two hundred (1,200) tons of rice have been milled so far (24,000 bags of 50kg bags of rice).

The result of this initiative by the Authority has been impressive. Apart from pushing Nigeria towards self sufficiency in rice production, the initiative has also been able to engage hundreds of farmers and youths in rice farming activities thereby reducing the scale of unemployment in Kwara and Kogi respectively.

The Authority is not only planning to replicate the rice success in 2018 but has put every necessary preparation in place to double the 2017 rice achievements and will continue in this stride until demand for rice in Kwara, Kogi and Nigeria as a whole is locally satisfied and through this process drastically reduced unemployment thereby assisting the Federal government in conserving foreign exchange.

Fish farming, a very lucrative and dynamic business is another project the authority has used to tackle unemployment and poverty among the swarming unemployed youths. Presently, the Authority has dozens of fish farmers that include graduates of tertiary institutions, professionals and private organizations.

The Kampe Omi Dam in Ejiba area office of the Authority where the major fish farming activities are located has over one hundred ponds with about one hundred and fifty tons of monthly harvest worth millions of Naira.

The above highlighted activities have not in any way slow down irrigation scheme of the Authority. Over the years, the Authority had made all year round farming of vegetables & cereals such as carrots, Okra, garden, water melon, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, maize and others certain through rain fed and irrigation farming to the magnitude of six hundred and fifty tons estimate of yearly harvest. This year irrigation activities have not only started in earnest in all the Area and project offices of the Authority but the Authority has embarked on ample agricultural infrastructure and irrigation construction works to augment its irrigation activities as a way of tackling food paucity among the populace. Some of the areas which are lately being constructed and utilized for irrigation farming across Kwara and Kogi states respectively include,

• Moshe – Gada Irrigation project
• Giriyan/Oloru irrigation project
• Odo – Ape Irrigation project
• Okuta Irrigation project
• Molete Irrigation project
• Takete Idde Irrigation project
• Orin Irrigation project
• Asa (Ballah) Irrigation project
• Rehabilitation of Oke – Oyi Irrigation project

It is highly anticipated that this year Irrigation activities of the Authority will double the preceding year as all necessary mechanism has been put in place to accomplish that.

Flood and Erosion works are another area where the Authority has achieved tremendous success. Though, it has been a yearly ritual for the Authority to construct/rehabilitate drainages and canals to checkmate flood and erosion across the communities, the 2017 flood and erosion works are exceptional. The Authority was able to construct flood and erosion control infrastructures in more areas that include Amule road, Surulere clinic road, Alfa Yahaya – Idigba – Sakele - Gaa Aremu Road, Isale Asa road, Pakata- Ubandawaki - Government Girls Secondary School road, Ajere - Abata Asunkere- Ode Okubi road, Kolawole Close, Baba Soja - Sohibul Bayyan Road, Sanni Okin junction,-Ode Alalupupu- Gegele Road, Otutu area of Adavi Eba Township, Idowu road in Okene, Oro Layout in Okene, Otte - Etile Ballah Junction among others.

Of course, the flood and erosion control efforts of the Authority brought about remarkable success during 2017 raining season as there was no incidence of flood recorded in the Authority’s area of jurisdiction.

The 2017 water supply activities of the Authority were also boosted with hundreds of boreholes sunk across its coverage areas. The boreholes consist of various types, sizes and capacity such as Hand pump borehole, Mini-motorized Borehole, Motorized borehole, Solar Powered Driven Borehole, Solar Powered Driven Industrial Borehole and Electrically Motorized Borehole. This is to assure more people have access to potable water so as to prevent or eradicate water borne diseases such as Diarrhea, Cholera, Dysentry, Typhod fever, Hepatitis A and B etc especially among the rural dwellers.

Furthermore, construction and upgrading of various water works of the Authority have reached an appreciable and outstanding level while that of Malete water works has been hundred percent completed.

The above enumerated information gives an insight into the activities of the Authority between January 2017 till date. Plans are in top gear to make sure these immense accomplishments recorded are reproduced and improved upon in 2018.