By Abdullahi Lukman
The Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE) has called for urgent reforms, stronger institutional coordination and increased investment in the water sector to address Nigeria’s growing water security challenges, flooding and inadequate water supply.
The call was made at the end of the 9th International Water Conference and 16th Annual General Meeting of NIWE, held from September 7 to 9, 2026, at the National Engineering Centre in Abuja.
The conference, organised under the theme, “Effective Water Governance and Security: Innovating for a Resilient Future,” brought together about 154 local and international delegates from academia, government, industry, development organisations, the private sector and civil society. More than 120 participants attended the opening ceremony, representing 28 states across Nigeria.
In its communiqué, NIWE stressed the need for technological and policy innovation, improved water governance and stronger collaboration among government institutions and other stakeholders to build a resilient and sustainable water sector.
The institution identified institutional fragmentation and overlapping responsibilities among water-sector agencies as major obstacles to effective water governance. It also expressed concern over inadequate technical capacity within water organisations and called for structured training and continuous professional development.
Participants further highlighted the effects of indiscriminate water use, limited municipal water supply, uncontrolled drilling of boreholes and activities on floodplains, warning that such practices could worsen water scarcity, conflicts, poverty and environmental degradation.
On flooding, the conference noted the recurring loss of lives, property and livelihoods and urged a shift from largely reactive responses to proactive prevention and adaptation measures, particularly in view of climate change.
NIWE recommended the use of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve early warning systems for floods and droughts. It also proposed converting underutilised dams into water-retention facilities where appropriate and called for stronger environmental and social safeguards in infrastructure development.
The conference urged the government to develop water-security plans at basin level, improve the quality and availability of water-related data, strengthen basin-wide water licensing and establish Water Users Associations for water infrastructure to promote effective management.
It also called for innovative financing mechanisms, including public-private investment, infrastructure bonds and climate-adaptation funds, to address Nigeria’s water infrastructure deficit and expand municipal water supply.
On sanitation, NIWE recommended a transition from conventional waste-management systems to a circular economy model capable of recovering valuable resources such as biogas, biofertiliser and construction materials from sewage and treatment sludge.
The institution further called for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services to be incorporated into Nigeria’s One Health framework, arguing that improved WASH infrastructure is essential to preventing public-health challenges.
The conference also raised concerns over unsupervised rock blasting and borehole drilling in Abuja and other parts of the country, urging government and professionals to take immediate measures to regulate and curb the practices.
