Nigeria’s water management structure weak, says Goronyo
The Federal Government has emphasised the need to embrace a modern water governance system to take the country out of the food crisis. Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, stated this at the closing ceremony of the 30th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Water Resources and Sanitation, in Abuja, yesterday. Utsev also stressed the need to engage the country’s security architecture to protect the farmers and return them to farmlands without fear.
According to him, in compliance with the presidential directive to take Nigeria out of poverty through agriculture, the ministry “is undertaking some projects and programmes, such as Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) and Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH).
This collaborative/partnership model, he said, will bring together major stakeholders, including the federal, state and local governments, communities, donor agencies/development partners and the private sector towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria to improve the water sector. He explained: “The overall aim of this programme is to increase access to water supply in rural areas as well as sanitation in public places.”
The minister, however, regretted the non-passage of the water resource bill by the 9th National Assembly, disclosing that the ministry would still re-engage the 10th National Assembly to ensure passage of the water resources bill.
“When passed into law, the bill will establish an effective legal and regulatory framework in the water sector in Nigeria,” he added.
MEANWHILE, the Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Goronyo, noted that the country’s water governance structure is weak and needs to be strengthened.
He said: “Despite the laudable achievements recorded by the Remote Sensing Data Analysis Service (RSDAS), Nigeria’s agricultural environment with 3.14 million hectares’ irrigation potential is being threatened by land degradation, deforestation, rapid population growth, climate change and other socio-economic development challenges.”
“Also, the water governance structure to support the food security programme is very weak and all call for urgent actions to reverse the trend.”As part of efforts to align with the cardinal focus of the present administration, which is food security, Goronyo said the 12 River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) were engaging in massive agriculture during the dry season.
