By Abdullahi Lukman
Persistent oil spills in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region pose a monumental threat to both surface and groundwater quality.
A chemical engineer and environmental scientist, Engr Abdullahi Abdulsalam, who made this assertion, raised serious concerns about water contamination by such spills to public and environmental health.
Abdulsalam, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja recently, expressed the urgent need for robust water management and purification strategies.
He warned that the continuous contamination jeopardizes Nigeria’s ability to meet development and climate change goals, given water’s central role in natural disasters and human well-being.
“The rapid deterioration of surface and groundwater quality caused by anthropogenic activities such as urbanisation, poor land use, agricultural activities and oil spills has made environmental pollution, particularly water pollution, a top concern for nations around the world,” Abdulsalam maintained.
The environmentalist pointed to global water scarcity challenges, citing World Bank and World Health Organization statistics on limited access to clean water and sanitation.
He also noted the economic and human costs of water-related crises, such as droughts affecting Somalia and Argentina.
Abdulsalam’s research focuses on developing innovative wastewater purification methods to mitigate the impact of toxic contaminants.
He explained that domestic and industrial wastewater often contains harmful substances, including heavy metals and organic chemicals, which have severe environmental and public health consequences.
“My research promotes sustainable development and application of chemical and environmental engineering by assessing the toxic contaminants in wastewater and developing a novel method of wastewater purification that will help in mitigating the problems of public and environmental health in Nigeria and worldwide,” he said.
He is currently advancing his research by using microorganisms and locally sourced biomass materials to treat wastewater, an approach he believes is cost-effective and scalable for developing countries.
Abdulsalam emphasized the importance of continuous research and implementation of bioremediation techniques to address water scarcity and prevent disease.