By Abdullahi Lukman
Nigeria’s worsening water crisis could seriously disrupt the country’s food production and energy supply if urgent action is not taken to improve water resource management, experts warned at the 12th National Water Conference in Kaduna.
Stakeholders pointed out that erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, flooding, and degraded watersheds are increasingly affecting agriculture and hydropower generation across the country.
Dr. Abduljalal Dan Baba, Director-General of the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), said the absence of a skilled workforce to manage water resources is already impacting agricultural output and energy generation.
He warned that the situation would worsen without targeted investment in human capacity development.
Representing the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Jamilu Abu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation at the ministry, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to expanding access to safe and reliable water.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu is prioritising policies and programmes to strengthen water infrastructure and sanitation, aiming to deliver sustainable solutions for Nigerians.
Baba also emphasized the value of international collaboration, revealing that NWRI recently signed agreements with the Hungarian University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, to promote knowledge transfer and climate-responsive water management practices.
Earlier, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamali, encouraged the institute to reduce reliance on government funding by seeking strategic partnerships and alternative revenue sources, highlighting NWRI’s potential to drive innovation in the water sector.
The conference, themed “Water for Climate Action, Food and Energy Security,” also called for increased investment in hydrological modelling, climate-smart irrigation systems, and early warning mechanisms to address Nigeria’s growing water challenges.
