Stakeholders have been called to strengthen Nigeria’s water climate change resilience to unlock opportunities for local communities.
The call came on Wednesday in Abuja at the official launch of Lokoja Dialogues, an independent non-profit platform focused on strengthening Nigeria’s resilience by applying a Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus approach to community challenges.
The launch, which was coordinated by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, drew participants from the Ministries of Water Resources, Foreign Affairs, Finance, the development partners, as well as the private sector.
Speaking while performing the launch on behalf of the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said the launching of the Dialogue was both timely and strategic. He said water availability does influence the economic pressure of households and local communities.
According to him, “Reversing water scarcity can boost Nigeria’s growth by up to six per cent annually. The associated peace dividend through reduced farmers-herders conflicts can unlock as much as $13.7 billion annually.”
He said water is very critical in addressing the challenge of climate change, noting that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, his commitment is not just to reform the economy and remove the distortions that limit opportunities for people to grow, but also to inclusivity.
“As you all know, the reforms of this government are all about improving lives, and that means involving the local communities,” he said, adding that the present administration will continue to support initiatives that promise better opportunities for the people.
Also speaking, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, commended the initiators of the Lokoja Dialogues for their thoughtfulness and for focusing on a very crucial aspect of life.
The First Lady, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, highlighted the human impact at the centre of the initiative, stating that, “Families seek better access to clean water, food and energy. This initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which seeks to enhance the quality of life for all Nigerians through unity, compassion and purposeful action.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Lokoja Dialogues, Mrs Polly Alakija, said the climate crisis is a water crisis.
“It is not about how much we have, but how we manage it,” she said. “Nigeria is blessed with water; she is one of the African countries with the most fresh water.
“Our problem is not about availability; it is about access. As the population increases, the battle against climate change increases and water stress increases. Our broken poverty cycle has become a water cycle.”
She said the idea of Lokoja Dialogues is to transform community-defined challenges into opportunities.
“By surfacing lived realities of farmers, herders, women and local leaders, we position them to be taken up by policymakers, investors, and partners,” she said, adding that this continuous action programme will generate home-grown solutions for water security and for the wider systems and value chains.
In his own remarks, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, reinforced the need for technical and community alignment. “Water is the lifeblood that sustains our ecosystem, empowers our economy and nourishes our people,” he said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yussuf Tuggar, reminded the audience that the history of Africa is inextricably tied to the history of water and water systems.
Nigeria is facing a climate change crisis, leading to her search for a more sustainable use of available water to support agriculture, power and a clean environment.
