Nigeria on Wednesday ratified the country’s plan to accede to the United Nations Water Convention on the Protection and Use of Trans-Boundary Water Course and International Lakes.
The Convention was ratified at the week’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said Nigeria’s trans-boundary waters are the Rivers Niger and Benue while the country also shares the Lake Chad with other countries.
Adamu explained that countries are required to accede to the Convention and to also get it required by their governments.
“So, Council ratified this convention today,” the minister said.
Benefits
According to Adamu, the convention has a lot of benefits for Nigeria and is in line with the country’s effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Because of our numerous trans-boundary waters, we need to strengthen cooperation with members with whom we share the same basin.
“In addition to the fact that we are members of the Niger Basin Authority and the Benue River Commission, joining the international convention will give us a better recognition and we will have a better bargaining power for lots of issues that have to do with trans-boundary waters.
“This also rhymes with our efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals; specifically Goal 6.5 with the need to consolidate existing cooperation with neighbouring countries and the issues of ground water and trans-boundary waters.”
Adamu explained that trans-boundary waters may be ground water or surface water.
He said Nigeria is the third country within the Niger Basin Authority to accede after Chad and Cameroun.
“We hope that subsequently other countries would also join this convention.
“It is an international convention and we are putting our footprints there. The process took about a year.
“We have gone through many zonal workshops, national workshops and road shows and its has got the buy-in of all stakeholders.”
He said the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice would prepare the instrument of ratification
Floods
Adamu said he also briefed the Council on the flooding that has affected many states in Nigeria.
He said the flood was caused by the unprecedented rain that occurred in Nigeria this year.
The minister said he also clarified certain stories on the social media concerning the cause of the flood.
“My presentation to council made it clear that there is no way anybody can stop flood, but what we can do is to minimize the outcome, the fallout of the flood.”
He said there are short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions, explaining that the short term measures include the early warning system.
Adamu said that the solution would be more of long-term, which would require heavy investment.
“This administration is working very hard to develop a master plan, especially for the Rivers Niger and Benue basins to deal with the issues of flood, providing flood protection measures and other solutions.”
Adamu said that the master plan would take three years to complete if it starts, while the engineering solutions would need consistent investment for about 30 years to achieve.
PIAK
