BORBDA Boss Adekamnbi Declares New Dawn in Strategic Development Plans for Ekiti State Water Resources, Food Security

The Managing Director of the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA), Dr. Olufemi Adekanmbi, has unveiled a comprehensive development blueprint aimed at boosting agriculture, infrastructure, and youth empowerment in Ekiti State.

He made these revelations during a courtesy visit to Governor Biodun Oyebanji in Ado-Ekiti on June 2, 2025. During his address, Adekanmbi highlighted BORBDA’s renewed commitment under the Federal Government’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,” driven by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security and the partial commercialisation of River Basin Development Authorities.

He said the move would facilitate deeper intergovernmental cooperation and improve developmental outcomes in states like Ekiti.

He listed various ongoing and proposed BORBDA interventions across the state, including flood control projects in Ilupeju, Efon-Alaye, Ado-Ureje Road, and Ikere-Ado/Osun Road. The agency is also managing key dams in Apariko-Aisegba, Oye-Ayede, and Ado-Osin, while cultivating and reactivating hundreds of hectares of farmland across Ikere, Oye, Ikole, Ire, and Ilemoro.

Adekanmbi disclosed that several capital projects had been secured in BORBDA’s 2025 budget for Ekiti State. These include a 3km electrification project on Ado-Iyin Road, an artesian well in Ikere, irrigation infrastructure in Ikole, and solar-powered boreholes in Ekiti South.

He noted the significance of the Ayede Dam for irrigation farming and expressed willingness to support smallholder farmers for dry season cultivation. In the power sector, he confirmed that the hydropower components of the Ogbese Dam had already been procured, and described the ongoing efforts to complete the Erio Dam and Oni River projects, despite funding challenges.

Adekanmbi also hinted at a potential tripartite partnership involving BORBDA, Ekiti State Government, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to establish a small hydropower project at Itapaji Dam, which would boost rural electrification.

To address youth unemployment and the ageing farming population, BORBDA is introducing a Youth-in-Agriculture Initiative (YAI)—a one-year, practical, business-focused programme on agriculture, aquaculture, and agro-logistics. The initiative aims to groom a new generation of agropreneurs across the state.

The BORBDA boss further appealed to the state government to enhance security around farm locations, improve access roads, and help tackle encroachment issues affecting agricultural sites.

Earlier had Governor Biodun Oyebanji expressed dissatisfaction with the operations and past past leadership of the agencies noting that they nearly frustrated some of the effort of the state government in driving agricultural revolution.

Dr. Adekanmbi affirmed BORBDA’s readiness to work closely with the Oyebanji-led administration to achieve food security, rural development, and sustainable management of water resources. He described the visit as the beginning of a stronger partnership to transform Ekiti’s agricultural and economic narratives of the state.