Maximize Groundwater For Equitable Use, Minister Charges Stakeholders

Engr Suleiman H Adamu, the Minister of Water Resources has charged every member of the Water Sector, the State Water Agencies, River Basins, Development Partners and Non- Governmental Organizations to maximize the potential of groundwater and make it more visible and valuable for all users.

Engr Adamu represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, stated this at the symposium organized to celebrate the 2022 World Water Day with the theme Groundwater: making the Invisible visible, held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Minister noted that due to the Invisible nature of Groundwater, the resource is frequently undervalued, insufficiently understood and consequently poorly managed.

He explained that groundwater has a huge impact on the Nigerian economy because of its use for domestic, agricultural and industrial supplies, stating that “an estimated 60% of Nigerian population depend on Groundwater for their main drinking source, while over 70% of the people  living in rural communities in Nigeria depend on this important source of water for survival”

Engr Adamu revealed that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has drilled and instrumented over 70 groundwater monitoring Wells across the major aquifers of the country in other to assess and manage groundwater resources of the country.

Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack who was represented by the Director of Special Duties of the Ministry, Mr Peter Nwankpa, stated that Groundwater is an integral part of the water cycle and a vital resource that must be collectively managed.

The Permanent Secretary stated that in line with the theme of 2022 World Water Day, the ministry and its Agencies are working judiciously towards ensuring sustainable management of the nation’s groundwater to meet the needs of the Nigerian population.

World Water Day was a date set aside to raise awareness of over 2 billion people currently living without access to clean and safe water and to inspire action towards SDG-6 Water and Sanitation for all by 2030.

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