The management of the Ogun- Osun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORBDA) has tackled acute water scarcity with the provision of over 400 solar-powered boreholes for communities that hitherto had no access to portable water.
This is in addition to the over 76 agricultural tractors procured and deployed to farmers in the Authority’s catchment areas as part of the strategic efforts to boost mechanised farming and enhance food security in Nigeria.
O-ORBDA’s managing director and chief executive officer (M.D/CEO), Engr. Deji Ashiru disclosed these during a media chat held at the Authority’s headquarters in Alabata axis of Abeokuta, in the Odeda local government area of Ogun State as part of the activities marking his two years in office.
Ashiru, who took over the mantle of leadership of the Authority on the 10th of June, 2024 explained that these are part of the efforts towards meeting up with the core mandates of the Authority, which among others included: developing and managing water resources; safe and adequate water and flood control; enhancing quality of life, as well as promoting the socio-economic development of the country.
In what appeared as rendering his stewardship since assumption of office, Ashiru said “as a development strategist”, he was motivated by the Authority’s seemingly untapped potentialities to reposition it into becoming a “catalyst for economic growth, agricultural prosperity, and rural transformation”, hence, the results being celebrated now.
Describing O-ORBDA as a strategic Federal Government agency under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Ashiru maintained that the Authority has since June 2024, evolved into a “beacon of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for which policy aspirations of Mr. President is being translated into life-changing realities for thousands of Nigerians”.
He further explained that his passion for repositioning O-ORBDA stemmed from his belief that leadership is often measured not by promises made, but by tangible footprints left behind in the sand of time.
In his goodwill message, one of the stakeholders, Mofolu Mogaji described O-ORBDA under Ashiru as a clear demonstration of an effective leadership, “not about occupying an office, but about creating impact” in a way that touches diverse sectors and countless lives across South Western Nigeria.
Mogaji, popularly referred to as “African Farmer”, disclosed that Ashiru facilitated the successful graduation of 200 youths from various empowerment programmes designed to foster entrepreneurship and self-reliance, in addition to empowering over 200 farmers through training, equipment support and capacity-building initiatives.
“Through diligence, innovation, and strategic execution, O-ORBDA under Ashiru has, within the past two years, breathed new life into the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, positioning it as a critical vehicle for sustainable development and economic empowerment”.
African Farmer emphasised that the feats achieved within the past two years in office are not mere statistics, but “stories of lives transformed, communities revitalized and opportunities created”.
“These accomplishments are not mere statistics; they are stories of lives transformed, communities revitalized, and opportunities created. They represent clean water flowing where scarcity once prevailed, fertile farmlands thriving where uncertainty existed, and empowered citizens charting new paths toward prosperity”.
“O-ORBDA today, is a story of revival, innovation and measurable impact” in water resources management in all the catchment areas of the Authority. One that represents clean water flowing where scarcity once prevailed, fertile farmlands thriving where uncertainty existed and empowered citizens charting new paths toward prosperity”.
