STAKEHOLDERS in water resources on Tuesday called on Nigerian Water Resource Planners and Engineers to plan and design local and regional scaled water systems.

Prof. Bolaji Sule, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), of the University of Ilorin, joined other in making the call while addressing participants at the North Central Geo-political Zone of Nigeria Water Resources Sector Stakeholders’ Meeting in Ilorin.

The meeting was organised by the National Water Resources Capacity Building Network (NWRCBNet), University of Ilorin, in collaboration with the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), Kaduna.

Sule’s paper presentation was entitled: “Situational Analysis of Water Supply and Responsibilities of Stakeholders in the Sector”.

According to him, a well-planned local and regional water system will adequate quality and quantity of water to various communities, towns and cities to meet their needs at all times and to sustain good livelihood.

The don, who is a Water Resources and Environmental Engineer, added that the general objective is to provide safe, potable water for domestic, commercial and public uses.

He explained that this will also ensure adequate quantity of water at sufficient pressure for fire fighting and industries in the country.

According to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, rapid urbanisation is leading to increased urban population and greater demand for water supply and sanitation services in many developing countries.

“As the world’s population is increasing, there is a need to consider issues relating to improved water and sanitation services,” he said.

He added that such improvement will have significant and potential welfare gains in the various towns and communities.

Dr Abdullahi Salami also made a presentation titled: “Importance of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Water Sector Programme at University of Ilorin”.

Salami is of the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, University of Ilorin.

He said that the IWRM promotes a coordinated democratic approach to management of water, land and related resources.

According to him, this involves multiple interests in policy making, while the traditional approach was fragmented.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, appealed to the North-Central Water Resources stakeholders to collaborate with the University in order to move the water sector forward.

According to him, the Centre was established following a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed between the National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna, and the University of Ilorin.

He disclosed that it has a mandate to coordinate capacity development in the water sector through education, training, research and information dissemination along with the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), Kaduna, for the six states.

These states, he said, included Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger and Plateau as well as the FCT, to ameliorate water resources utilisation occasioned by the growing need for capacity building in the sector.

Abdulkareem also pointed out that the gathering transcended an official ceremony.

“The subject of the colloquium is key to the continuous survival of the planet earth if really water is life,” he said.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Executive Director, National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), Kaduna, Dr. Martin Eduvie, stressed the need for the states in the zones to key into the activities of the North Central Network.

According to him, this is will ensure its sustainability and chart a way forward for the North Central zonal Centre.

-April 10, 13:45 GMT-

BE