River basin management and food crisis in Nigeria

River Basin Development is one of the key agricultural programmes embarked upon by Nigeria to meet the challenges of escalating import bills on food. This paper takes a critical look at the various efforts made by the management of the River Basin Authorities in responding to the current food crisis. The rationale for the huge financial allocation made to the Authorities is questioned, and the management lapses in their key areas of operation, such as irrigation, mechanization and extension services, are discussed. It is found that despite the huge financial investments made in the river basins, their impact is hardly felt, not only in terms of food production capacity but also in the production performance of the peasant farmers. The paper argues that the problem of food crisis in Nigeria could be solved by strengthening the ability of the peasant farmers and farmers co-operatives through financial aid and extension services, and not by huge financial investments on high technology agricultural projects, characterized by centralized administration and expatriáte management.