WorldStage– The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has commended the Ogun–Oshun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORBDA) for its sustained efforts to boost food security in Nigeria, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Utsev gave the commendation at the opening of a two-day 2026 Management Retreat organised by the Authority in Abuja, where he urged the management to scale up its impact through more strategic and innovative initiatives.
Represented by the Director of Irrigation and Drainage at the Ministry, Engr. Mrs. Oyeronke Esther Oluniyi, the Minister highlighted key projects being executed by the River Basin, including plans to construct 300 greenhouses, with over 70 already completed, and the construction of more than 2,000 boreholes to improve water supply and sanitation across South-West states covered by the Basin. He also cited the flood and erosion control project at Owakurudu in Ogun State.
While applauding these achievements, the Minister challenged the Authority to strengthen its internally generated revenue, redevelop existing assets, and leverage the partial commercialisation of River Basin Development Authorities to attract private sector investment through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
He stressed the importance of teamwork, capacity building, strategic planning, and sustainability, expressing optimism that the retreat would yield actionable strategies to empower farmers, expand agricultural land use, and ensure affordable food sufficiency nationwide.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the O-ORBDA Board, Hon. Segun Odebunmi, said the retreat was key to fostering collaboration between management and staff, adding that an improved procurement process is critical to the Authority’s success and alignment with the Ministry’s WASH sector vision.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of O-ORBDA, Engr. (Dr.) Adedeji Ashiru, described the retreat as a strategic platform to strengthen leadership synergy and review the Authority’s 2026 Work Plan using SMART objectives.
Ashiru explained that the inclusion of intensive procurement training by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) was deliberate, noting that transparent and efficient procurement remains central to effective project execution, accountability, and service delivery across Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Lagos States.
He added that expected outcomes of the retreat include improved organisational performance, expanded irrigation to boost food security, increased investor participation through PPPs, job creation, and strengthened water supply and sanitation services.
The retreat was attended by Executive Directors of the River Basin, a representative of the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Engr. Isaiah Yesufu, resource persons from the Bureau, as well as Directors and Deputy Directors.
