The Department of River Basin Operations and Inspectorate (RBOI) as a Technical Department was created in August, 2010 and backed by Circular No. OHCSF/MSO/317/VOLI/193 dated 10th July, 2012 to reposition the River Basin Development Authorities for effectiveness and efficiency. Justification for RBOI creation was to coordinate the activities of the RBDAs that were hitherto scattered in the various Departments of the Ministry and give the RBDAs’ operations better sectorial policy direction and priority focus.

RBOI has hitherto concluded arrangements to review and update the operational guidelines and Inspectorate Manuals for the RBDAs to enable them perform at their optimum capacity to conform to the present administration initiative on transforming communities in Nigeria into viable agro-based economies.

The mandate therefore is to bring all the operations of the RBDAs to a close monitoring with a view to determining and consolidating their gains as they affect development, utilization and management of water resources for various socio-economic sectors; examine long- term impact of the RBDAS projects on the rural economies; the state of the nation’s food security and food production and the implications of these activities on the political, socio-economic life of rural Nigeria.

The Department also carries out the inspectorate functions of these RBDAs and coordinate the numerous inspectorate visits by multi- stakeholders such as the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), the National Assembly (NASS) oversight functions of constituency projects, Budget Office, Federal Ministry of Finance, the Auditor General Office, the Accountant General Office, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Office, among others.

STRUCTURE:

The Department of River Basin Operations and Inspectorate is headed by the Director, assisted by three (3) Deputy Directors who are in charge of the following Divisions:

  1. Operation;
  2. Inspectorate; and
  3. Special Duties

FUNCTIONS: The major functions of the Department are as follows:

  1. Harmonize RBDAs’ Budget Proposals, Programmes and Projects Implementation, Procurement Processes, Appointments, Promotion and Discipline in conformity with the National Policy and Guidelines and alongside relevant Departments of the Ministry;
  2. Advise the Honourable Minister and the Permanent Secretary on issues of Board appointments, functions and limit of their powers;
  3. Recommend to the Honourable Minister and Permanent Secretary on the appointments of Managing Directors and Executive Directors of RBDAs and their tenure;
  4. Carry out oversight functions with the NASS members on the appropriation, location and the implementation of constituency projects within the RBDAs;
  5. Coordinate and monitor the performance, valuation, monitoring, auditing of projects and programmes of RBDAs to keep them on track and accountable to the Honourable Minister;
  6. Keep a database of projects and programmes of RBDAs;
  7. Provide Secretariat for coordination of activities of the forum of Managing Directors of RBDAs:
  • Coordinate, guide and advise the RBDAs on Internal Revenue Generation Initiatives.
  • Initiate, coordinate and implement cross-cutting programmes and projects that can collectively involve and benefit more than one RBDAs; amd
  • Carrv out all Inspectorate and Monitoring functions of the RBDAs.