Nigeria’s water crisis will be in focus in Copenhagen as stories of a Broken Water Cycle, an initiative of Lokoja Dialogues, open at UN City this month.

The project seeks to find answers to what happens to people, communities and economies when water systems break down.
Nigeria’s water crisis presents a paradox as the nation accounts for significant freshwater resources alongside deeply unequal access to safe and reliable water.

The Founder and Convenor of Lokoja Dialogues, Polly Alakija, described the water crisis in the country as ‘paradise simultaneously experiencing severe water stress.’ She had warned that Nigeria’s broken water cycle is threatening livelihoods, food production and public health.

The programme, is expected to kick off from 8 to 22, and will be hosted by the UNFPA Nordic Representation Office in collaboration with Shoreline and Nigerian and international partners. The forum will combine an exhibition with 90-minute dialogues, public engagement and study visits.

According to the organisers, issues on water in the country centres on management, financing and connectivity, not just availability. Degradation in one part of the system — upstream deforestation or damming — ripples to downstream farming, energy, cities and ecosystems.

The exhibition centers people over statistics. It features stories of communities adapting to changing landscapes, women navigating water collection, and farmers confronting unpredictable rainfall.

Essentially, the forum will address infrastructure and financing models, including the roles of government, development finance, philanthropy and private capital.

The twelve themes include water stress and security, infrastructure and financing, women in water governance, sustainable cities, AI and water security, and water diplomacy.