The Nigerian government has pledged full support for the 2025 Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition aimed at fostering innovation in water and environmental management among young Nigerians.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, disclosed this on Thursday during a press conference in Abuja to announce the call for applications for the 2025 Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Nigeria.
The VP, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan-Hadejia, said the competition will get the younger generation between the ages of 15 to 20 acquainted with problems and challenges associated with water at their tender age.
Describing the competition as an opportunity to create awareness within this age bracket, VP Shettima said:
“There is a Stockholm Water Prize which is different from the Junior Water Prize – this is specifically targeted at the younger generation between 15 and 20 years old.
“It is essentially to imbibe the culture of awareness and responsibility among the younger generation so that they grow up knowing the rudiments of water and environmental issues, especially in this challenging time of climate change.
“It is an international competition covering almost 35 countries, and I have seen participation in the region of ten thousand and it is a wonderful opportunity for the Federal Government to lend its weight to this year’s event.”
The Vice President noted that this year’s competition is most significant given the discussions that resulted from his engagement in Oslo in 2024 and the anticipated visit of the Crown Princess of Sweden later in the year.
Earlier, the Head of Political and Trade Affairs, Embassy of Sweden, Abuja, Mr. Fredrik Åhsberg, explained that “The prestigious international competition organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute aims to engage young minds in addressing global water challenges.”
He said the call for participation in Nigeria, which runs from March 27 to May 2, 2025, is open to qualified candidates who are invited to apply for the competition’s regional finals, which will be followed by a national final that will take place at the Embassy in Abuja later in the year.
The National Coordinator of the Nigeria Stockholm Junior Water Prize, Mr Ikechukwu Chinemerem, said the competition is for secondary and tertiary school students between the ages of 15 and 20 to write projects on water-related issues and how it could be solved.
“It is one of the ways to find solutions to water problems and be acquainted with the problems at a young age,” he added.
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