By Muhammad Muntazar
The Federal Government and UNESCO, in collaboration with other partners, have pledged to support advanced groundwater management for water security in Nigeria. This commitment was made during a two-day validation and capacity-building workshop in Abuja, themed “Improving Groundwater Governance towards Achieving Sustainable Water Security for Human Settlements in Nigeria.”
The workshop is part of the UNESCO Korean Fund-in-Trust project, “Water Security for Human Settlements in Developing Countries under Climate Change,” aimed at enhancing knowledge-based management and governance of groundwater resources.
Prof. Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, emphasized the need for creativity, new scientific knowledge, and innovation in sustainable water solutions.
“Sustainable water solutions at the local, regional and global levels required creativity, new scientific knowledge, discoveries and innovation,” he said.
Utsev, represented by Permanent Secretary Dr. Richard Pheelangwah, assured that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation would support efforts to deliver modern approaches for sustainably managing Nigeria’s vast groundwater resources.
Mr. Albert Mendy, Head of UNESCO Abuja Office, stressed the importance of prioritizing effective groundwater management through enhanced governance. “Most rural and urban human settlements in Africa and indeed in Nigeria are dependent on groundwater because it is locally available, drought resilient and has quality requiring minimal treatment,” he said.
The workshop highlighted groundwater’s significance, with the UN World Water Development report for 2022 revealing that groundwater makes up 99% of the world’s liquid freshwater.
Dr. Idowu Lateef, Secretary-General of Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, noted that despite groundwater’s importance, it remains “invisible and less permanent” due to climate change impacts.
The project aims to improve groundwater governance, ensuring sustainable water security and aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”
The implementation of the project started in the last quarter of 2023, with stakeholders committed to enhancing groundwater management for Nigeria’s economic and social development.
Leave a comment