President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to preside over the 12th Extra-Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Niger Basin Authority scheduled to hold in Abuja, the Nigerian capital on Saturday, May 29, 2021.
To this end, the Council of Ministers of the Authority is expected to prepare an agenda for the meeting which is expected to be attended by the Head of States and the government of the Nine Countries that makes up the Niger Basin Authority.
The Countries are Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote ‘Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Chad and Cameroon.
Speaking at a meeting of the Technical Committee of Experts of the Authority, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, Didi Walson-Jack stressed the need to strengthen the Niger Basin Authority to be more united in tackling the challenges posed to the ecosystem as well as other issues affecting the growth and development of the region.
She said the agency was established in 1964 with the mandate of protecting and managing the ecosystem of the Authority in an equitable manner.
She said the agency was also given the mandate of improving the socio-economic wellbeing of the populations within and outside the Basin.
The Permanent Secretary said further that the organization has been involved in a number of projects and programme in agriculture, environment, climate change and integrated water resources management under a strategic action plan.
She said activities of the organization must be able to contribute to decision-making that will strengthen the NBA and enable it to carry out activities essential for promoting integrated management of the Niger River’s resources and contributing to sustainable development among member states.
Executive Secretary of the NBA, Abderahim Bireme Hamid said the meeting of the technical committee of experts was to prepare the ground for the extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers which will take place in Abuja later in the week.
The National Coordinator of the National Focal Structure of the Authority, Mrs. Alice Ojowu said the committee of experts has the primary responsibility of ensuring that the organization fulfills its mandate as set out by its founding fathers.
She said, “as foot soldiers, we diligently research and analyse current issues affecting the NBA and member countries with the overall aim of improving NBA and the livelihood of our people.”
