The Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority and Ologbo Community, in IkpobaOkha Local Government Area of Edo State have agreed to collaborate to stop the harmful human practices that degrade the quality of water on the Ossiomo River, in Ologbo Community, Edo State.

The agreement was made at the 2025 World Rivers Day celebration with the theme, “Clean Rivers, Healthy Communities” on Tuesday.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of BORBDA, Dr Olufemi Adekanmbi said that rivers play a major role in the sustenance of life and highlighted the need to maintain and preserve them.

To ensure the health and well-being of people, the Managing Director said, that the populace must maintain a clean and safe environmental culture that supports the health of rivers for the benefits of man”.

Adekanmbi said the event was being marked to draw global attention to the need for the communities to appreciate the usefulness of rivers in the sustenance of life, stressing that “abuses as a result of harmful human activities, such as pollution, over extraction, damming, deforestation and climate change threaten their health and sustainability, thus causing great danger to human health and existence”.

Dr Adekanmbi noted that the theme of this year’s celebration; “Clean Rivers, Healthy Communities”, underscored the critical role clean rivers play in achieving a healthy community, assuring BORBDA’s commitment to the development of the rivers within its catchment area.

He said, “Rivers are the lifeblood of our planet. They sustain ecosystems, provide water for agricultural and industrial use, support biodiversity, and serve as vital sources of drinking water for billions of people worldwide.

They also hold cultural, spiritual and recreational significance enriching lives of communities across the globe”, Adekanmbi emphasized.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Water and Energy Resources, Edo State, Washington Osifo, represented by Emma Ofordu, “charged Communities to imbibe the culture of caring for the health of rivers in their areas, avoiding indiscriminate dumping of wastes in Rivers”.

The Commissioner frowned at the several harmful human activities on the Ossiomo River including the dumping of sawdust and logs of wood that has seriously deprived the river of necessary aquatic organisms including fish amongst others.

He said that the state government has concluded plans to effectively collect and convert all wastes to useful purposes including power generation, advising the people in the community to use their wastes effectively.

Chief Emma Iyase, who is the Okao of Ologbo Dukedom, represented by ChesleyOmoregbe commended the management of BORBDA for the initiative choosing the Ossiomo River for the programme and to sensitise the communities on attitudes that sustain the health of rivers.

The Okao assured the Agency of their support by sensitising their people against engaging in activities that harm the rivers, just as he acknowledged the importance of rivers also in the sustenance of lives and the living.

The highpoint of the ceremony was the symbolic tree planting of coconuts and palm fruits beside the river side by the Managing Director, the Representatives of the Commissioner and the Okao.

Pollution of rivers has been a big environmental issue in the country which has caused a lot of harm to aquatic organisms. However, the efforts of BORBDA and the host communities will go a long way in ameliorating the problem.

On August 20, the management of BORBDA inaugurated five solar-powered boreholes and overhead infrastructures in various host communities to mark its 100 days in office.

Also, the authority commissioned a police post and lodge in Obayantor, Edo Area Water Factory in Auchi, Iyamero farmland (Cassava and maize farm at Owena) and water projects in Ekiti State. They also donated Hilux trucks to enhance security.