River Basin Development Authorities in Nigeria are government agencies involved in the management of water resources for agriculture and other uses.
Each authority operates in an assigned geo-morphological and political boundary and work to improve agriculture and rural development through irrigation, control of river pollution and also to assist farmers in processing food crops.
[1] River basin authorities operations have been influenced by Nigeria's economic and political changes, ten years after they were established their impact has been minimal.
Plans were then developed to create government agencies spread out within the country based on the drainage systems of various rivers.
[4] When a democratic administration came into power in 1979, improved capital expenditure was allocated to the river basin authorities, some of which were in states controlled by the opposition but political consideration in choice of contractors and board personnel.