NBA says River Niger Basin is on alert level

The Niger Basin Authority (NBA) has raised the alarm that the River Niger Basin’s ecosystem is on alert level.It expressed worry over the ripple effect of population growth and climate change on the basin’s ecosystem and called for commitment from member-nations to improve the lives of the basin populace from the impact of climate change.

NBA Executive Secretary, Mr. Abderahim Hamid, stated this at the opening of the technical committee of experts meeting in preparation of the 37th ordinary session yesterday in Abuja.Hamid, who pointed out that financial capability of the authority was improving, said with the needed financial resources, the goals of providing structured investments in using the basin’s resources in agriculture, livestock, fishing, energy and inland transportation would be achieved.

These programmes, he added, would improve the resilience of communities in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cote d’ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad through sustainable management of natural resources and reduce silting processes towards improving agriculture production.

Meanwhile, Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, has appealed to member-countries to abide with the commitment of paying their statutory contributions to the authority’s operating budget regularly and promptly.Adamu, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Musa Ibrahim, said this would strengthen the NBS and help the institution achieve its set goals.

The minister pledged Nigerian government’s commitment to fulfil its obligations for effective regional co-operation and basin’s development.Also, Co-ordinator, NBA-National Focal Structure, Mr. Gerald Osuagwu, noted that Nigeria has shown maximum commitment for trans-boundary water activities through programme implementation and goal of effective regional co-operation and co-existence.He, therefore, urged participants to review the issues critically so as to come up with workable recommendations that would help to improve climate resilience for improved livelihood for the basin’s survival.