Analyzing the new water resource roadmap

It is a general saying that water is life, like the legendary Afrobeat maestro Fela Anikulapo put it in his song ‘Water No Get Enemies’ which lyrics of the song go to show that truly water is life. Water beyond the ordinary usage for domestic purposes serves as the life-wire of any economy. No serious nation that wants to overcome poverty and join the developed world would treat with levity the water resources potentials for economic development.

It was in line with this drive to achieve these goals to the fullest that the Ministry recently launched the Water Resources Roadmap expected to cover the period between 2016 and 2030. The roadmap was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and presented by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu. It was an all encompassing document drawn to address a number of issues that bother on regulating the water sector for optimum performance to address the food security challenges, as well as to tackle the perennial power challenges facing Nigeria among other relevant issues.

For instance, the Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu while presenting the roadmap at the International Press Centre, Radio House Abuja, explained that it was developed to address the immediate and long term strategies for the water sector, adding that it encompasses the following key areas relevant for to the bid to reflate the Nigerian economy presently facing serious challenges.

According to him, the document has these vital areas to look into; Establishment of a policy and regulatory framework for the sector; Prioritization and implementation of the Ministry’s Projects; Development and implementation of a National Irrigation Development Programme (2016-2030) to boost food production; Identification of Dams with Hydro Electric Power Potentials for Development; Development and implementation of a National Water Supply and Sanitation Programme to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6); Development of a Blueprint to Strengthen the River Basin Development Authorities as enablers for food security and socio-economic development; as well as Identifying alternative sources for funding the delivery ofWater Supply and Sanitation through enhanced collaboration with Development Partners, States and Local Government Authorities, Communities and the Private Sector.

The above goals of the document were no doubt tailored towards tackling the present economic challenges in the country. Aside the drive to have an established policies and framework for the sector in order to bring about sanity and orderliness in the way business of water sector and exploitation of water resources is been done, the document also seek to prioritize and implementation of the ministry’s projects, which is an indication of sincerity on the part of the ministry.

An issue of paramount importance also addressed in the document was how to tackle food security and increase economic activities through agriculture. The water sector document also has a special focus on irrigation farming, as stated above. The document highlighted the development and implementation of a National Irrigation Development Programme, with the aim of boosting food production in Nigeria. This is expected to have a multiplying effect.

Aside improving the nation’s capacity to feed itself, it also addresses the challenges of foreign exchange that has a huge burden the Naira. This is by discouraging the demand for foreign exchange for food importation purposes which would be reduced drastically if not totally eradicated.

For instance, the document highlighted that Nigeria has potentials of 3.1 million hectares of irrigable land and about 440,000 hectares are planned for irrigation while developed irrigation area is 130,000 hectares, leaving actual Irrigated area with only 70,000 hectares.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has adopted it as a long term irrigation development strategy for the period of 2016-2030 to be implemented in three phases: Phase I: 2016-2020 = 100,000 Ha (Ha means hectre) Phase II: 2021-2025 = 170,000 Ha, Phase III: 2026-2030 = 225,000 Ha Total = 500,000 Ha by 2030.

There is no doubting the fact that the perennial power problem in Nigeria has in no small way affected businesses with grave consequences on the economy. This road map of the water sector when actualized would address this gigantic monster threatening the nation’s economy. This would be done by identification of dams with hydro electric power potentials to boost power supply capacity of the nation.

The National Water Resources Master Plan indicates that Nigeria has a Hydro-power Potential of about 12,220MW. Only about 1,930MW has been developed at Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro dams. There are 17 existing dams with combined potential hydropower capacity of over 200 MW that are yet to be exploited. Four dams that are under study and design have combined potential capacity of about 4,320 MW, including Mambilla (3,050 MW), Gurara II (360 MW), Dasin Hausa (150 MW) and Zungeru (760 MW). Several other sites with total potential of 6,460 MW are yet to be fully studied and developed.

Also it is the concern of the document to address access to water supply in Nigeria. So far, current national access to water supply in 2015 is 69%. This implies that 31% or 52.7 million Nigerians do not have access to water supply. It is imperative to change the trend to achieve 100% access to water supply to our citizens by the year 2030 ( the SDGs target year) when the population is estimated to grow to about 257million.

There are other key areas the document seeks to address that would bring about prosperity and a robust economy that would guarantee good life for all the citizens.

To achieve this lofty goals in the roadmap, the ministry said they have identified a detailed implementation plan, the execution of which is now fully on course. They also revealed that the ministry is in strong collaboration with MDAs and other stakeholders.

The Minister Suleiman Adamu also expressed confidence that implementation of the roadmap will be accelerated, stressing that as the nation entered the third quarter of the year and beyond. Chris Suleiman, sirkknas@ gmail.com