Minna —Managing Director of Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, Professor Paul Marley has faulted alleged moves to privatize the River Basin Development Authority by the Federal Government.
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He said that instead of privatisation, the various river basin authorities should be adequately funded to carry out their mandates of completing their existing projects towards boosting food production in the country.
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The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina had at the Annual Foundation Day lecture at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, said that, having largely failed to live up to their mandate in the area of supporting agriculture through irrigation as well as enhancing water supply and power generation, the Basin Authorities should be handed over to the private sector to manage.
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However, Marley said that, "there is no need to privatize the River Basins. How are you going to privatize a dam with an irrigation scheme attached to it?