Flood: Kwara Gov Seeks Urgent Dredging of River Niger, Benue

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Kwara State Governor, Mr.  AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at has called on the federal government to urgently embark on  the dredging of the River Niger and River Benue to promote food security and check the annual flooding and loss of human lives along their banks and tributaries. 

AbdulRazaq stated this in Ilorin when he received a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation that was led by the Honourable Minister, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Ilorin.

The governor expressed concerns over the human and material damages the annual flooding had been inflicting on the country, especially communities living along their tributaries.

He said: “One of the main challenges I want your ministry to take up is the dredging of the River Niger and River Benue down to the delta. It is essential for (the ministry) to start that immediately, because of the damages it has been causing to the national economy and food security.

“Issues of internally displaced persons are of concerns. People are leaving their traditional abodes because of the water level.

“We know that on both banks of River Niger and Benue, rice is being farmed a lot. Two years ago, we saw how OLAM Farm in Benue State was devastated. The issue of dredging is not just about the navigation. It is also about agriculture and building the marine economy from those rivers.”

AbdulRazaq commended the ministry’s usual support for the country, particularly the state, on the success recorded in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes and Open Defecation Free (ODF).

He also sought the assistance of the ministry for smooth implementation of a water master plan, which the state government is proposing, saying their collaboration is key to achieving the set goal.

“I commend your ministry for the push on ODF. When we came in 2019, Nigeria overtook Bangladesh as one of the worst cases in ODF, and so we became number one in the world.

“Kwara was number one in North-central and last worst case in Nigeria. But with the efforts we made with your Ministry, we’ve gone up and we are no longer the worst case in ODF. We thank your Ministry’s support and engagement in that period.

“We also want to collaborate with and seek assistance from the Ministry on our new water master plan for Kwara.”

The Governor also acknowledged the important role of river basin development authorities in achieving food security, and tasked them to do more to achieve more.

“Without river basin development authorities, we cannot achieve the level of food security we want to achieve. That is something we really need to do. All your programmes on water and sanitation are basically essential things.

“If we get that right we will have less traffic in our primary healthcare facilities across the nation. So, your ministry is key to food security, good health, and human capital development,” the governor added.

In response, Utsev, said that they are in the state to kick start a nationwide tour of projects, programmes and assessment of the challenges facing the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDA) for improved results, starting with the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority Ilorin.

The minister sought the support of AbdulRazaq to use his office as Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman to talk to his colleagues to also key into the activities of RBDA across the federation.

He said: “Your Excellency, this is a familiarisation visit and assessment of the projects and programmes, including challenges of the RBDA in Nigeria.

“And we are here in Kwara State to start this tour because you are the Chairman Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and we feel it is important to do that in order to receive your blessings and support,” the Minister added.

He said that his ministry is among the key drivers of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through its activities in promoting food security, improving WASH programmes and strengthening the national economy.

“During this visit to the state, we also aim to assess ongoing federal government projects in the state, and to commission those that are completed” he added.