Water minister charges sector on maximal groundwater asset

Nigerian Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has charged stakeholders in the water sector to ensure that appropriate technology and processes are deployed to turn the invisible groundwater visible for the use of Nigerians.

He said it was important also to ensure that human activities do not contaminate groundwater on which a large proportion of water sources depend on.

Adamu said this at the World Water Day 2022 Celebration which was held at the West African College of Physicians, Abuja.

The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, noted that the UN theme for 2022 “Groundwater Making the Invisible Visible” was pivotal to human survival.

His word: “It is important to stress that groundwater is not an infinite resource; It could be depleted when more water is abstracted from Aquifers than is being recharged by rain or snow.

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“Unfortunately, over-abstraction by humans and climate variability are increasing the pressure on groundwater resources.

“Other human activities result in the pollution of our Aquifers which increases the cost of processing groundwater and sometimes even prevents its use.

“In some areas, we do not have adequate data regarding how much groundwater we have, which means we could be failing to harness a potentially vital water resource.”

Suleiman also argued that it was important to manage groundwater because it was critical to human survival, Adaptation to climate change and meeting the needs of an increasing population.

He said Nigeria boasted of over “400 dams of various sizes impounding over 40.6 billion cubic meters of water contributing to groundwater resources of about 200cubic meters.”

Suleiman said further that “More needs to be done and all hands must be on deck to recognize ifs enormous ecological value for the many surface water bodies and wetlands that depend on it.

“We need to acknowledge and mitigate pressures from _ exploitation, contamination and climate change on groundwater. I wish to urge every member of the Water Sector, the State Water Agencies, River Basins, Development partners and NonGovernmental Organisations to maximise the potential of groundwater use in a sustainable and equitable way in order to make this resource visible.”

The United Nations has charged countries to utilise the groundwater asset for the use of man.

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