Nine member states of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), Nigeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mali, Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger and Chad are expected to commit $6.44 million towards reviving the basin and improving the lot of the people living in the area.
The funds are also to help in facilitating access to hydro-electric power as well as boosting agriculture production in the region, The Guardian online reports.
Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the council of ministers meeting in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
The Basin was established in November 1980 to “promote cooperation between member-countries and ensure an integrated development of the Niger Basin in the areas of hydraulics, energy, agriculture, livestock, fisheries as well as fish farming, forestry and logging.”