By Abbas Nazil
The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) and key development partners, is leading a high-level regional workshop in Abuja to review the progress of the Niger Basin–Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft Aquifer Systems (NB-ITTAS) project.
The five-day event, held from May 26 to 30, 2025, gathers stakeholders from all nine NBA member countries to advance transboundary water cooperation and climate-resilient strategies.
At the opening ceremony, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, represented by Engr. Adeyinka Adenopo, emphasized the strategic importance of NB-ITTAS in addressing major environmental threats such as climate change, land degradation, water pollution, and ecosystem decline.
He noted the project’s alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 6, with its emphasis on integrated water resources management and regional cooperation.
Prof. Utsev highlighted the project’s role in enhancing community livelihoods and ecosystem resilience, especially in Nigeria’s Ayele-Iggah and Akpanaja communities in Nasarawa State.
He urged continued stakeholder commitment to knowledge-sharing and collaborative action for long-term sustainability in the Niger Basin.
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NBA’s Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Zinsou Didier, represented by Technical Director, Mr. Adamou Ibro, acknowledged Nigeria’s role in hosting the event and celebrated NB-ITTAS’s milestones.
These include 17 community-based pilot projects, habitat protection, sustainable forest practices, and the establishment of 10 governance platforms across regional and national levels.
However, he stressed the need for stronger community involvement and institutional support to consolidate progress.
Engr. Adeyinka Adenopo, represented by Mrs. Angela Keyede, NBA Project Coordinator, thanked the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for its financial backing.
She noted GEF’s role in supporting integrated water resource management (IWRM) efforts that improve both ecosystem health and socio-economic development throughout the Basin.
As the workshop progresses, participants are expected to document best practices, assess impacts, and adopt strategies to expand successful interventions.
The event aims to reinforce regional collaboration in sustainable groundwater governance.
The NBA continues to champion transboundary water management and sustainable development in its nine member countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria—benefiting over 160 million people dependent on the Basin’s water resources.
