Workshop Seeks Investments In Water Sector

The National Water
Conference has called for appropriate short, medium and long-term investments in the sector, including the construction of more dams, to effectively utilise Nigeria’s major river systems.
This was part of the 10-point resolution adopted at the end of the 4th National Water Conference in Calabar and made available to  newsmen.
It also called for the management of water resources within what it called “hydrologically bounded catchments’’ without political interferences, to avoid conflicts and waste of resources.
“There is the need for energy generation as a vital component of all major dam projects in Nigeria to boost rapid industrial development and socio-economic advancement,’’ the communiqué stated.
The conference also resolved that a mechanism for effective inter-sectoral, inter-agency and international cooperation and collaboration for information sharing and effective service delivery be actualised by stakeholders.
It also noted the existence of more than 200 dams in Nigeria currently and the need to complete all the downstream structures with adequate involvement of host communities.
It stated that these facilities should be maximally utilised for food security and youth employment.
It also called on governments and other stakeholders in the water sector to take advantage of the various courses and ongoing youth empowerment programmes at the National Water Resources Institute to address identified “skills gap and aging workforce’’.
The communiqué also called for adequate funding of research and development in the water sector in order to develop appropriate technologies and techniques in water resources management.
“Emphasis should be given to stakeholder participation and involvement in the planning and execution of water resources programmes and schemes for sustainability,’’ it stated
The communiqué was endorsed by Mr Elemi Etowa, the Cross River State Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr Olusanjo Bamgboye, the Executive Director, National Water Resources Institute and Mr Mfon Essien, the Managing Director, Cross River Basin Development Authority.