By Fatima Saka
Nigerian Minister of Water Resources Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu has called on individuals and organisations to adhere and act collectively to improve water quality and protect water resources.
The minister made this called on Wednesday in Abuja as the Federal ministry of water resources welcomed Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Under the Niger Basin-Iullemeden Taoudeni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System (NB-ITTAS) regional workshop validation of the draft on the standards of discharge wastewater in the Niger Basin and others ECOWAS Regions.
Speaking at the workshop which will lasted for five working days, Engr. Adamu further emphasized the importance of monitoring water resources and the validation workshop.
“It is important to state that the evolution of water resources quality in the basin and the discharge of wastewater have to be monitored, given the continuous increase in industrial, mining, and agricultural activities. Indeed, wastewater management poses many legal, institutional, financial, economic, and cultural challenges.” He said.
“This Workshop is to propose concrete and standard measures to mitigate the release of pollutants, particularly those of anthropogenic origin.” He added.
The minister called on the Participants to take into cognizance for the next five working days, that they will deliberate on issues that will improve water quality of the Niger River as follows:
1. To make amendments to and validate the document on standards for the discharge of wastewater into the NBA.
2. To identify and plan strategies for sharing data on water quality in the watershed between member countries and the NBA
3. To Share experiences on water quality monitoring between experts from different Basins present at the workshop (Niger and Danube).
The minister who is represented by the Permanent Secretary of federal ministry of water resources, Mrs. Didi Walson – Jack said the workshop has been organized from member countries Niger Basin Authority to come together to shared experiences on the issues of waste management and is going to be a time of interactions and sharing of experiencing to see how best they can managed the waste water that goes into River Niger.
However, she added that the document to be validated is the guideline for standards for the management of the wastewater and the water quality as well.
Alice Ojowu National Coordinator, National Focal Structure (NFS) said the validation Niger Basin document is supported and put together by United Nations Program to have a document on how best they can really monitor the quality of water that’s the quality of River Niger to have access to portable water, in line with sustainable goals by 2030,.
It is also expected that every citizen must have access to good water by year 2030, referred as catalyst to help on how the polluted water can be minimize for good water usage.
Amb. Jean Bakole Regional Director of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and a representative to ECOWAS, said UNIDO is organized to focused on the water resources Niger Basin Region and they are very plead to have the workshop in Nigeria, knowing the role of Nigeria is to lead, integrate all the whole regions within the ECOWAS regions.
He also stated that water resources has become one of the key resources for now and for the future and it is very important for common and steady on the basic strategy for a good management water its usage, because it’s not only important for domestic usages, climate change, but also very importance for industry that is why UNIDO is leading the workshop to get the best practices and experience from each country participants of River basin on how to move ahead and address climate changes challenges, issues of water pollutions, also to utilize the water for agriculture and others industrial activities and Nigeria has a very important role to play in the workshop, and also drive the economic activities in the regions.