By Abu Micheal.
The Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA), has celebrated the 2025 World Rivers Day with a call to action for the protection and conservation of rivers and ensuring healthy communities.
The event, held at River Fomo in Alagbado, Kwara State, brought together stakeholders to highlight the importance of clean rivers and healthy communities.
The Managing Director of LNRBDA, Engr. Olumoroti George Olusola, highlighted the authority’s operational achievements, including the provision of solar-powered irrigation pumps to over 200 farmers in Kwara and Kogi States.
He also noted that the authority has invested in food security partnerships, flood and erosion control, and modern tools such as drones and hydrological monitoring stations to guide planning and improve productivity.
Engr. Olusola emphasized the importance of sustainable river management, citing measures such as hydrometeorological monitoring, solar-powered pumping, channel desilting, and erosion control.
He also highlighted the need for community waste management and pollution control, capacity building, and community training.
The LNRBDA boss outlined the authority’s future plans and strategic goals, including expanding irrigable land, rehabilitating intake structures, scaling up solar-powered irrigation, and upgrading water supply schemes.
He also emphasized the need for river restoration projects, pollution monitoring, and enforcement, as well as investment in flood risk management and climate change adaptation.
Engr. Olusola declared a call to action, urging stakeholders to refrain from dumping waste into rivers, protect riparian zones, and adopt water-saving technologies and renewable energy solutions.
He emphasized that protecting rivers is a collective duty and that clean rivers are essential for healthy communities and sustainable development.
The LNRBDA’s celebration of World Rivers Day serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting and conserving rivers for future generations.
The authority’s efforts towards sustainable river management and clean rivers are a step in the right direction towards ensuring healthy communities and sustainable development.
