By David Iorja (ABUJA) –
President Roch Kaboré of Burkina Faso today in Abuja, Nigeria, emerged the new Chairman of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA).
His appointment was part of activities marking the closing of the virtual 12th summit of the Heads of State and Government of NBA.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, who ended his five-year tenure as Chairman of the body, hailed his successor, saying the Institution had ‘‘the utmost confidence’’ in President Kabore’s ability to steer the affairs of the Niger Basin Authority for the next two years.
‘‘Let me, on behalf of all Heads of State and Government of NBA, wish His Excellency President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, a very successful tenure’’, the President Buhari said.
The Nigerian leader also congratulated member states of NBA for a job well done, calling on them to continue to muster the needed political will and courage to implement the far-reaching decisions agreed at the Summit.
The President also expressed deep appreciation and gratitude to leaders and member-countries who attended the Summit as well as their ‘‘unwavering support and cooperation during my five year tenure as Chairman of Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Authority.”
The Niger Basin Authority is an intergovernmental organization in West Africa aiming to foster co-operation in managing and developing the resources of the basin of the Niger River. The group is referred to by both the French and English initialisms, NBA or ABN.
Nine countries which have some of their territories on the Niger Basin are member states of the NBA: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, the Niger and Nigeria. Although a small area of Algeria falls within the Niger Basin, it is not a member state of the NBA, according to Wikipedia.
Founded in 1980, the NBA, with headquarters in Niamey, Niger Republic defines its purpose as the promotion of cooperation among member countries to ensure integrated development of resources.
The organisation originally defined its mission as the cooperative management of water resources, most notably, but not limited to, the Niger River.
While centering of water and hydroelectric resources, the NBA nations use the organisation to harmonise development of energy, agriculture, forestry, transport, communications, and industrial resources of the member nations.
The NBA has worked to create a “Integrated Development Plan of the Basin”, especially focusing on cross boundary projects.
The NBA itself has been ceded no sovereign power over resources or management, and therefore all regulation must be imposed by individual sovereign governments. While not the original focus of the NBA, environmental protection from the threats of desertification, deforestation and pollution of the rivers by agriculture and industry have become a major theme of their work.