Abuja: The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has charged water engineers to drive innovation, strengthen governance, and ensure sustainable management of Nigeria’s water resources. Utsev gave the charge during the 9th International Water Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE) held in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the conference, themed ‘Effective Water Governance and Security: Innovating for a Resilient Future,’ highlighted the importance of water to life and economic development. The minister, represented by Mr. Ali Dallah, Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations, noted that the water sector faces challenges from climate change, rapid urbanization, inadequate infrastructure, and transboundary water management. He emphasized the need for innovation, technology, and professional expertise to address these challenges, urging engineers to harness digital technologies, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, real-time monitoring systems, modern hydrological and hydrogeological tools, and improved data management systems.
Utsev further urged participants to deliberate on innovative financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships, climate-resilient infrastructure, digital water management, dam safety, irrigation development, sanitation, and capacity building for policy development. He stressed the importance of collaboration between government, professional institutions, academia, the private sector, development partners, and local communities in addressing Nigeria’s water challenges.
The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ali Rabiu, also addressed the conference, commending NIWE for advancing knowledge, innovation, and professional excellence in water engineering. Rabiu highlighted the role of engineers in solving complex societal challenges and emphasized the need for strong partnerships and integrated water resources management.
Dr. Abdulmumuni Aminu-Zaria, the keynote speaker and Executive Director of the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC), discussed the recurrent water challenges and climate effects in Nigeria, attributing them to weaknesses in managing the nation’s water resources. He called for innovative financing models and regulatory instruments to close Nigeria’s water infrastructure gap and emphasized the importance of capacity building in water engineering.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of NIWE, Joshua Sanga, outlined the challenges facing Nigeria’s water sector, including inadequate access to safe water, sanitation deficits, flooding, drought, groundwater depletion, climate variability, ageing infrastructure, and increasing pressure on water resources. He stressed the need for effective governance, sound policies, competent professionals, appropriate technology, sustainable investment, and collaboration to build a resilient water sector.
The conference underscored the critical role of water engineers in planning, managing, protecting, and sustainably utilizing Nigeria’s water resources, with continued collaboration among stakeholders seen as essential to strengthening the nation’s water security and contributing to sustainable national development.