The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has commended the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORBDA) for its efforts in advancing food security in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Utsev gave the commendation at the opening of a two-day management retreat organized by O-ORBDA on Tuesday in Abuja.
He was represented at the event by the Director of Irrigation and Drainage in the ministry, Mrs Esther Oluniyi.
The minister highlighted some of O-ORBDA’s achievements, including the construction of over 70 greenhouses out of a target of 300, the drilling of about 2,000 boreholes to improve water supply and sanitation, and the execution of flood and erosion control projects at Owakurudu in Ogun State.
He urged the Authority to scale up its impact through strategic initiatives, improve internally generated revenue, redevelop existing assets, and leverage the partial commercialization of River Basin Development Authorities to attract private sector investment through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Utsev stressed the importance of teamwork, capacity building, strategic planning and sustainability, expressing confidence that the retreat would yield actionable strategies to support farmers, expand agricultural land use and ensure the delivery of affordable food across the country.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the O-ORBDA Board, Mr Segun Odebunmi, said the retreat would strengthen collaboration among management staff. He emphasized the need to improve procurement processes in line with the ministry’s sector vision and strategic objectives.
The Managing Director of O-ORBDA, Dr Adedeji Ashiru, described the retreat as a vital platform for strengthening leadership, reviewing the Authority’s 2026 Work Plan with SMART objectives, and enhancing synergy across departments.
Ashiru said the retreat also featured procurement training facilitated by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), noting that transparent, compliant and efficient procurement was critical for accountability, effective project execution and value delivery across Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Lagos States.
He outlined expected outcomes of the retreat to include improved organizational performance, expanded irrigation to boost food security, increased investor interest through PPPs, job creation, and strengthened water supply and sanitation services across the South-West.
Ashiru urged participants to engage actively, share knowledge and cascade lessons learned to all departments to ensure the retreat’s impact is felt across the Authority, thereby strengthening public trust and institutional effectiveness.
Also in attendance were Executive Directors, representatives of the Bureau of Public Procurement, resource persons, as well as Directors and Deputy Directors, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable water resources development.
