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  • Feb, Fri, 2020
Environment

FG, IHE Delft Institute sign MoU to address sanitation crisis

 

MoU
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Feb. 21, 2020 (NAN) The Federal Government and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in Netherlands have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to train senior and middle level manpower to address sanitation crisis in the country.

The partnership, open to all Nigerian Universities and involves strengthening the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), Kaduna Capacity Network Centres across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The programme will run at the centres in the University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, University of Ilorin, University of Abeokuta, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and University of Calabar and in Delft, Netherlands.

It also includes the transfer of Masters of Science Sanitation programme curriculum to the selected universities and will ensure their participation in the Global Sanitation Graduate School (GSGS).

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu said that limited knowledge, capacity and capability on wastewater and faecal sludge management and reuse remained key bottleneck to sanitation attainment in the country.

He said improving the technical capacity of water agencies at the federal, state, and local government levels was a crucial objective of the National Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Action Plan to revitalise the water, sanitation and hygiene sector.

“Strengthening human capacity for sanitation delivery is one of the key building blocks that will get us to meeting the action plan by 2030.

“Not only must we achieve the target to end open defecation and ensure sanitation for all; we must also sustain the target.’’

Dr Peter Cookey, IHE Deflt said the institute as a foremost water and sanitation graduate training centre was honoured to be part of efforts to meet the WASH targets.

According to him, the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise WASH and end open defecation by 2025, while achieving universal access to water supply is timely and laudable.

“However, the challenge of knowledge, skills and capacity availability and adequacy is a hindrance to the SDG six targets, not just in Nigeria but in many nations globally.

“This is an area that IHE Deflt has developed a niche in as we have been training water and Sanitation practitioners at graduate and professional levels for 60 years.’’

Cookey said the institute offer professional graduate diploma in core capacity areas for water resources management, water supply, water quality, governance, sanitation, pollution among others.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Global Sanitation Graduate School is managed by the IHE, Delft Netherlands, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, formerly known as UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, Netherlands.

Since 1957, the institute has provided graduate education to more than 23,000 water professionals from over 190 countries, and is a flagship institute in the UN-Water family. (NAN)
TAK/JEY/GY
===========
Edited by Johnson Eyiangho/Grace Yussuf

Health

Group wants hand washing facilities in health centres

Facilities

By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, Aug. 2, 2018 (NAN) The Chairman, National Task Group on Sanitation, Mr Emmanuel Awe, has urged on the Federal and state Ministries of Health to construct hand washing facilities in health centres across the country.

Awe made the call at the meeting of members of the group in Abuja on Thursday.

‘‘We are also calling on the Federal and state Ministries of Health as well as in local governments to complement our efforts by constructing hand washing facilities in their health centres to promote hygiene practices,’’ he said.

He said the construction of such facilities would also prevent infections arising from poor hygiene practices.

The chairman noted that lack of hand washing facilities in health centres posed significant health risks to patients, health workers and nearby communities.

He said when such facilities were in place, they also would augment efforts of the Ministry of Water Resources to scale up hygiene promotion and practices in the country.

Awe noted that the construction of public toilets and provision of potable water in government programmes to scale up hygiene in the country.

According to him, there is need for sector collaboration and support from NGOs to monitor access and implementation to meet the Sustainable Development Goals before 2030.

Awe, who is also the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation,Ministry of Water Resources, expressed increased commitment of the Federal Government to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in the country

Mrs Chizoba Opara, who gave report from the recent monitoring of FCT school access to water and sanitation facilities, bemoaned continuous lack of facilities in the territory.

She said the overall goal of the monitoring visit was to assess whether the training given to FCT teachers were stepped down.

Opara said it was saddening to note that most pupils did not receive the training on hand washing and use of the hand washing facilities.

According to her, majority of the teachers complained of vandalism of the facilities by community members who usually entered the schools, following the unavailability of perimeter fences.

‘‘Most of the schools we visited in the six area councils lacked access to water and hand washing facilities. It was also worthy to note that most communities used the available facilities.

‘‘We also observed that most schools have presence of open defecation in their environment, this is further seen with the lack of perimeter fences,’’ she said.

Opara called on the FCT Administration to seek ways to construct perimeter fences in schools.

She stressed that it was important for all schools to create friendly atmosphere with communities in the councils toward taking ownership of all their projects for the overall benefit of the society.

She also stressed the need to trigger the communities in the area councils on Community Led Total Sanitation,(CLTS), to boost behavioural change toward hygiene promotion. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/DUA

Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Dada Ahmed

Environment

Official urges Nigerians to protect dams

  Dams By Tosin Kolade Abuja, April 19, 2018 (NAN) Mr Lawal Muhammad, the Acting Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, has called on Nigerians to take ownership of dams in their communities and protect them from vandalism. Muhammad told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that the call became necessary as a lot of water infrastructure were being vandalised. He stressed that water resources infrastructure were meant to serve public good and that damage on them affected the overall goal of water supply, agricultural production, among others. “I just want to call on all Nigerians wherever the dams are cited that they should not see them as threats; they are not threats, they are infrastructure, they should see as their own. “We want them to participate in safeguarding them by not allowing individuals to tamper with them or with their components. “Unless the public knows that these infrastructure are for their benefit, they won’t stop saying these are government property, so the government should come and protect them. ‘‘They should take them as their own and be committed to safeguard them against vandalism,” he said. Muhammad said the department was saddled with the responsibility of providing sources of water for dry season farming and how to achieve the nation’s food security target. He said this was being achieved through the construction of dams, operating and maintenance and construction of water facilities, among others. He said the ministry was spearheading the coordination of  stakeholders’ activities toward improving water resources infrastructure and the overall goal of agriculture, tourism, hydropower development and water supply. Muhammad said the department was studying relevant dam sites, supervising their construction in conjunction with the River Basin development authorities, which were the executing arms of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. He said the shrinking of Goronyo Dam was a natural phenomenon that had affected water supply for Kebbi and irrigation activities in the region. Muhammad said the dam, which was the second largest earth dam in northern Nigeria, was built to store one billion cubic meters of water and noted that its reduction to 10 per cent of its storage capacity was alarming. He said the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria project of the World Bank had proposed to increase its hectarage, adding that its shrinking was of great concern to the Federal Government. He listed factors that could have affected the dam to include climate change, sedimentation and human activities within the catchment areas. He said the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, had set up a technical committee to determine the actual cause of Goronyo Dam shrinkage to reduce the negative impacts of the dam’s reduction on the populace. “The committee members are meeting and they have already swung into action to determine and understudy the actual cause and to know what can be done to arrest the situation.” Meanwhile, Sokoto Rima River Basin has commenced the drilling of two boreholes to alleviate the sufferings of the farmers on crop sustenance,’’ Muhammad said. MAN recalls that the minister had expressed hope that the National Assembly would expedite action on the passage of the National Water Resources bill to enable the establishment of a comprehensive law to manage the country’s water bodies. (NAN) TAK/MOL/JCE ========= Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Chukwudi Ekezie

Environment

FG tasks River basin boards to reposition to ensure food security

FG tasks River basin boards to reposition to ensure food security

Basin
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, March 28, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has urged the governing board of the 12 River Basins and its parastatal agencies to focus on repositioning to enhance food security and job creation.

The minister, Mr Suleiman Adamu, made this call at the opening of a two-day Retreat for the Governing Boards of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities and the Parastatals of the Ministry in Abuja on Wednesday.

The ministry’s parastatals also include the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agencies and the National Water Resources Institute.

Adamu said that the functionality of the River Basins had a huge role to the agricultural revolution, while encouraging them to find alternative sources of funding through private sector involvement.

He said it was expected that the retreat would provide the board chairmen with the guidelines, rules and procedures in the exercise of their mandates and responsibilities.

He said eminent resource persons have been carefully selected to speak on the thematic areas of; best practice in River Basin Planning, Engineering and Management, Public Procurement Act 2007 and Board’s Duties and Responsibilities in Staff Matters.

Adamu said the retreat would provide deeper insights that will enable them contribute to the advancement of the reform agenda of the present administration, particularly in the areas of water resources management and national food security.

He underscored the role of the Governing Boards of the 12 River Basins as a critical element for the success of the Agricultural Revolution of the country.

“You are expected to bring to fore the vision of the present administration by developing sound policies and programmes that will put your Parastatals and Agencies on sound footings for effective and efficient delivery of the Ministry’s vision and mandates,” he said.

The minister noted that the Ministry had held several meetings with the Managing Directors of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) to review their 2017 – 2020 operations, especially in the execution of their strategic plans and irrigation for food production.

He said that the 12 RBDAs and the 2 Agencies control over 50 per cent of the Ministry’s budget, saying the contributions and achievement of these Parastatals and Agencies are crucial to the overall success of the Ministry.

He expressed optimism that when the National Water Resources Bill, which is at the final stage of consideration in the National Assembly is passed into law, the challenges of the RBDAs would be resolved.

Dr Musa Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, while congratulating the newly constituted boards, urged them to work in line with the ministry’s mandate towards the overall development of the water resources sector.

He cautioned them to do away with unnecessary interference with the businesses of the Management team of the river basins and other agencies.

According to him, a retreat will be organised soon to introduce them to what is required of them.

`It is against this backdrop that I urge you to be guided by the rules and administrative procedures of the public service while discharging your duties.

“Let me further emphasise that the role of the governing board is to drive the general policies guiding of the parastatals and agencies as outlined by the ministry,” he said.

Sen. Ubale Shittu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Water Resources, expressed worry over the non-performance of all river basins since their creation.

He urged the new board members to re-strategise to see what could be done to reposition the river basins for optimum performance.

He restated the commitment of the National Assembly to ensure the speedy passage of the National Water Resources Bill before it.

The Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Alhaji Aliyu Pategi, urged the newly inaugurated board chairmen to ensure transparency and accountability in all their doings.

He said they were now saddled with the responsibility of making sure that Nigerians have access to water, saying they were the closest Government’s parastatal to the constituencies. (NAN)
TAK/MUYI/AFA
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Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh/Felix Ajide

 

Environment

FG declares Dass council in Bauchi State Open Defecation free

 

 

NAN-AE-10
Celebration
By Tosin Kolade

Dass, (Bauchi), March 5, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Government on Monday, declared Dass Local Government Area in Bauchi State Open Defecation Free (ODF).

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, did the official declaration of the ODF status in Bauchi.

Dr Musa Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry represented the minister at the occasion.

He said the feat was achieved in partnership with other implementing partners, adding that it showed that Nigeria was close to meeting the ODF target by 2025.

Adamu said the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Diagnostic Report by the World Bank showed that Nigeria had made steady progress in the provision of safe water.

He, however, expressed concern that the nation had not made corresponding progress in sanitation and hygiene sector.

The minister, who said efforts in the past to address sanitation challenges yielded minimal results, assured that that a critical look at the issues showed that it would not be business as usual.

He said the ministry had launched the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme to seek stakeholders’ commitment to improve access to WASH, especially in the rural areas.

The minister said the ministry had started providing sanitation and hygiene facilities in the country with special consideration for the North-East, as part of its responses to the humanitarian needs of the people.

“The benefits of access to WASH facilities, especially of living in an Open Defecation Free environment, impacts on the education, health, security and socio-economic wellbeing of the people.

“In this regard, I wish to commend the people of Dass Local Government Area for their commitment toward behavioural change,’’ he said.

He urged the people of the area to be steadfast in such behaviour, adding that a relapse would deny them the inherent benefits of WASH facilities.

Mr Garba Magaji, Permanent Secretary, Bauchi Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), said the celebration marked a significant milestone in the history of the state over 15 years ago.

Magaji said with collaborative partnership with other stakeholders, the state had been able to have 351 communities working with hygiene promoters to sustain practices through the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach.

He said hand washing, at critical times with tippy taps, was now being practiced in 70 schools, with no fewer than 21,198 households imbibing same practice for overall hygiene promotion.

The permanent secretary said it was worthy of note that no one in the entire local government defecates in the open.

He asserted that the impact was already being felt with the reduction in visits to hospitals and an increase in pupils’ attendance and completion of schools.

Magaji pledged the commitment of the agency to sustain the ODF status by moving up toward attaining the total sanitation status of improving the quality of households and public toilets, and over hygiene promotion in the state.

Mr Suleiman Ayuba, Bauchi State Commissioner for Water Resources, said the achievement was worthy of celebration.

He said the feat was made possible with support from the U.K. Department for International Development/UNICEF in its Sanitation, Hygiene and Water in Nigeria (SHAWN) project.

Ayuba thanked the donor agencies and partners for their commitment toward scaling up sanitation and hygiene in the state.

The commissioner said that Warji and Gamawa Local Government Areas were also working to meet the ODF status.

Ayuba said with the advent of the Sustainable Development Goals,(SDGs), there was the need to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to scale up access to water and sanitation in all parts of the country.

This, the commissioner said, would go a long way to promote wellbeing and reduce preventable illnesses and deaths, especially among under-five children.

Mr Drissa Yeo, of UNICEF Nigeria Field Office, said the agency was honoured to be part of the celebration, following the concerted efforts put in over the years.

Yeo commended the Bauchi State Government and the people of Dass Local Government Area for their commitment to move up the sanitation ladder.

He said that their efforts had led to more than seven more councils benefiting from the SHAWN project.

He stated that the impacts of the interventions cut across all the 351 communities, institutions and public places in the state.

Yeo said there was a reduction in cases of water and sanitation-related diseases among the populace.

He called on the state government to sustain the momentum to ensure that the people did not return to practicing open defecation.

“UNICEF, therefore, calls on government, communities, religious and traditional leaders and all stakeholders to maintain the momentum and ensure this enviable achievement is sustained.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that there are certain protocols and guidelines that must be followed before a community or local government area is declared ODF.

They include the construction and use of clean hygienic latrines and having hand washing facilities at the toilets with access to soap or ash.

Nigeria developed the National Open Defecation Road Map to eliminate ODF in2025. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/DUA

Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Dada Ahmed

Environment

FG inaugurates River Basin, Water Institute Governing Boards

FG inaugurates River Basin, Water Institute Governing Boards

NAN-AE-10
Board
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Feb. 22, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday inaugurated the Governing Boards of the Ministry’s parastatals and agencies.

They are the twelve River Basin Development Authorities, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and the National Water Resources Institute.

The Minister, Mr Suleiman Adamu, while inaugurating the boards said the overall mandate of the implementation of the ministry’s project would be better managed when its parastatal agencies functioned well.

According to him, the ministry has embarked on some policies and programmes, committed to the water sector that will enhance the livelihood and create jobs for the populace.

Such programmes, Adamu said, includes; the blueprint and action plan to revitalise the river basins and deliberate reforms for integrated water resources management for a wholistic overhaul of the water sector.

He said it was expected that the board members function within the established guidelines, saying relevant laws have been provided by the Federal Government for smooth engagement.

Dr Musa Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, while congratulating the newly constituted boards, urged them to work in line with the ministry’s mandate towards the overall development of the water resources sector.

He cautioned them to do away with unnecessary interference with the businesses of the Management team of the river basins and other agencies, saying a retreat would be organised soon to introduce them to what is required of them.

“It is against this backdrop that I urge you to be guided by the rules and administrative procedures of the public service while discharging your duties.

“Let me further emphasise that the role of the governing board is to drive the general policies guiding of the parastatals and agencies as outlined by the ministry,” he said.

Sen. Ubale Shittu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Water Resources, expressed worry over the non-performance of all river basins since their creation.

He urged the new board members to re-strategise to see what could be done to reposition the river basins for optimum performance.

He congratulated the boards on their appointment, while urging them to seek out ways to increase funding and support for total turnaround of the river basins in the country.

He restated the commitment of the National Assembly to ensure that the National Water Resources Bill before it gets speedy passage. (NAN)
TAK/AFA
========
Edited by Felix Ajide

 

Environment

FG launches national standard for drinking water quality

NAN-AE-4
Water
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Feb. 22, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Government on Thursday launched the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality to promote the availability of safe drinking water for all Nigerians.

 

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, at the launching ceremony in Abuja, said that the availability of clean water supply was the focus of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

 

The Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality sets limits for water contaminants that are hazardous to health and also provides guidelines for meeting the mandatory limits for safe water.

 

Quoting a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, the minister said that it was estimated that about 60 per cent of all diseases in developing countries were related to consumption of unsafe water and poor sanitation.

 

Adamu said that diseases related to drinking water contamination represented a major burden on national health care delivery.

 

He, therefore, called for immediate interventions from all relevant stakeholders to improve the quality of drinking water for the benefit of all Nigerians.

 

Adamu said that Nigeria had made some progress in expanding the citizens’ access to improved water supply with the current access standing at 67 per cent.

 

He, however, underscored the need for the nation to make concerted efforts to meet the Goal Six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

 

The minister said that it was saddening that not much had been achieved in respect of enforcement of standards, adding that water producers still operated without due regard to the quality of water they supplied to the citizens.

 

Adamu said that the ministry was working to speed up the upgrading of the water quality laboratories in Lagos, Akure, Kano, Minna, Enugu and Gombe, as part of efforts to mount water quality surveillance and enforce standards.

 

He also said that efforts were underway to finalise the Water Quality Management Strategy which sought to harmonise the implementation of all water quality procedures.

 

The minister, nonetheless, called for the speedy passage of the National Water Resources Bill into law.

 

Mr Emmanuel Awe, Director, Water Quality Supply and Sanitation in the ministry, called for immediate intervention from all stakeholders to revamp the nation’s water resources sector.

 

He said that it had been reported that chemicals such as Arsenic had been polluting groundwater sources, saying the development was as a result of the increased use of pesticides and fertilisers in agricultural projects.

 

Also speaking, Mr Osita Aboloma, Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), expressed satisfaction with the wide acceptance and use of the Standard for Drinking Water Quality to improving the people’s well-being.

 

Aboloma, who was represented by Mrs Elsie Ofili, commended the water resources ministry for its role in spearheading the public awareness campaign for monitoring water quality and effective management of the nation’s water resources.

 

“The responsibility for lead institution in enforcing the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality NIS 554:2015 had been reassigned to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

 

“Other significant changes in the standard include the revision period, the maximum allowable limits for magnesium and the criteria for compliance and enforcement.

 

“We will keep supporting the ministry in its effort to promote access to safe water for all Nigerians,” he said.

 

News Agency of Nigeria recalls that in 2005, the National Council on Water Resources recognised the need to produce a national standard for drinking water quality for the country.

 

The Nigerian Industrial Standard for Potable Water, which was developed by SON and the National Guidelines and Standards for Drinking Water Quality in Nigeria, however, failed to garner the acceptance of all stakeholders. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe

Environment

Ministry targets 12-month action plan to scale up sanitation

NAN-AE-7
Sanitation
By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, Feb. 20, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has proposed a 12-month emergency action plan to scale up access to sanitation and hygiene services in the country’s public spaces.

This was part of the recommendations at the end of a National Retreat on Revitalisation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), made available to News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday.

The plan showed that by 2030, every Nigerian would have access to safely managed sanitation and hygiene facilities in cities, small towns, and rural communities.

The plan also stipulates that state and local governments enforce existing building codes and related legislation regarding the minimum number of sanitation facilities required for buildings and facilities.

This would also ensure that where such existing codes and legislations were inadequate, new codes would be drafted and enacted.

In an interview with NAN, Mr Emmanuel Awe, the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation, said there was the need for all tiers of government to institutionalise sanitation as a counterpart to water supply.

The director asserted that ignoring sanitation would be detrimental to the wellbeing of the citizenry.

He expressed regret that most policies and programmes from previous administration was solely on water supply, adding that budgeting for sanitation was important to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“Sanitation cannot be ignored, it is a silent killer. Nigeria can reduce its disease burden by making access to Water and Sanitation a priority.

“We need to wake up to the reality to advocate for more funding to scale up sanitation and hygiene before the end of the SDGs.”

He said Nigeria could reduce its disease burden with a working sanitation action plan in place, adding that no fewer than 46 million people practice open defecation in the country.

According to him, no fewer than 2.4 million deaths occur annually from poor sanitation, and stressed the need to improve hygiene education to promote behaviour change toward reducing open defecation practices.

He said there was also the need for all stakeholders to wake up to advocate for more funding for sanitation and hygiene.

Awe noted that Nigeria needed three times the present funding for scaling up sanitation, which he said amounted to about 1.3 per cent of its annual Gross Domestic Product.

He disclosed that the ministry was developing a Sanitation Value Chain Strategy to promote investment in addressing the near absence of wastewater and fecal sludge in Nigeria.

This strategy, he said, would include the promotion of innovative technologies that reuse treated fecal sludge and wastewater into economically-viable byproducts, such as fertilisers, bio-gas, and water for irrigation.

He said the ministry was putting measures in place to launch a national campaign to end open defecation in June, 2018 to create awareness on its dangers and what can be done to reverse the trend.

According to him, the ministry is also working to fast-track the ongoing development of the National Policy on Urban Sanitation, which will be approved and disseminated by August. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/EEE
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ese E. Ekama
 

 

Environment

Water resources, Niger Delta ministries partner on managing youth restiveness

NAN-AE-8
Youth
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Oct. 6, 2017 (NAN) The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs says it is partnering with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on aquaculture and fishery development to reduce youth restiveness in the Niger Delta area.

 

Retired Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Programme, said this on Friday when visited the water resources ministry in Abuja.

 

He said that the project would enable youths of the area to channel their energies to productive ventures.

 

Boroh said that the plan was in line with the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s to diversify the national economy via agriculture.

 

He said that his visit was to collaborate with the Ministry on how to access its massive rice farmlands and how to involve Niger Delta youths, as part of efforts to tackle youth restiveness in the area.

 

Boroh said: “We are interested in partnering with the ministry in this area of agriculture; we also want to partner with the ministry on how to transform the lives of our youths.

 

“I think this will douse the tension in the Niger Delta.’’

 

He also said that the amnesty programme was using professionals to engage ex-militants in skills acquisition programmes.

 

Responding, Dr Ibrahim Musa, the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Water Resources, pledged the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with Niger Delta ministry in efforts to address the menace of youth restiveness in the region.

 

“We are ready to partner with you in any way possible, so that together, we will work for the common goal of our people,” he said.
Musa thanked Boroh for the visit and thereafter presented the maiden edition of the ministry’s Water Magazine to him. (NAN)
TAK/KOO/OOK
============
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa and Dayo Komolafe

Environment

FG inaugurates water data Information System

FG inaugurates water data Information System
NAN-HG-5
Data
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Sept. 15, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Water Resources on Friday inaugurated the National Water Resources Information System to promote effective data gathering and water resources development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the N200 million World Bank-funded programme has its replica in six River Basin Development Authorities, representing the six geopolitical zones.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, said the establishment of the centre would greatly support the ministry’s policy formulation and development, and also facilitate efficient water development and management.
According to him, lack of data is one of the leading causes of poor water resources management and low innovation in the sector.
“The cumbersomeness in data availability and accessibility, which hitherto has been the case, would be adequately addressed while the personalisation of information would be discouraged.
“In this new dispensation, the ministry will also be free from the challenge of institutional memory loss which has repeatedly created information gaps and vacuum in the system.
“And deny the nation the opportunity for a robust and sustainable development,” he said.
Adamu called for strengthened collaboration among the departments in the ministry, saying there had been a renewed hope towards ensuring project planning and implementations.
Earlier, the Director, Water Supply in the ministry, Mr Benson Ajisegiri, said the establishment of the centre was premised on the need to facilitate evidence-based planning, development and management of the nation’s water resources.
He said the initiative, which started three years ago, had a mandate to provide credible and timely data for planning, design and construction and operation of water projects.
Mr Onuoha Nnachi, a consultant of Feedback Infrastructure Services, said the non-availability of reliable data bank hampered prompt decision making in the country.
Nnachi said there was the need for collaboration from all sectors of the ministry to promote effective planning and overall development in the sector. (NAN)
TAK/GOM/MST
Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Muhammad Suleiman Tola