Don Proffers Solutions to Lack of Quality Water Confronting Nigeria

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

A Professor of Geography at the Federal University, Lokoja , Samuel Ibrahim has called on the Federal, State and Local governments to establish routine, georeference water quality surveillance, backed by accredited laboratories to tackle Nigeria’s water environmental crisis.

Professor Ibrahim suggested that water-quality safety should be seen as adaptation of the primary performance indicator for water supply programmes at all levels.

The Varsity Don made the call while delivering the 47th Inaugural Lecture series held at the Felele Campus of the institution in Lokoja, on Wednesday.

Professor Ibrahim in his Lecture titled: “Water Is Life. Is Our Water Living? Confronting The Water Quality Crisis In Nigeria’s Environment” also recommended a mandatory frame work for Licensing borehole drillers, hydrogeologic sitting.

Other recommendations made by Professor Ibrahim to overcome the water crisis includes; institutionalization community-based water supply plans for all community water schemes

“Protection of water source zones which should be delineancated and gazetted around boreholes, reservoirs, river intakes and critical recharge areas

“Investment in sanitation, faecal-sludge management, sewerage wastewater and solid-waste management, and plastic recycling which should be used as strategy to scale up the protection of water quality

“Flood-risk management should be integrated with water, sanitation, and hygiene planing with past-safety protocols for disinfection wells and boreholes in flood prone areas

“Effluent standards should be strictly enforced on industries, mines and abattoirs under his polluter-pays principle, alongside incentives for cleaner production

“Period assessment of of heavy materials in reservoirs, rivers, and their sediments to tackle health-risk”

On climate change adaptation plans, Professor Ibrahim, advocated that to explicitly address water quality through seasonal monitoring, early-warning systems and climate resilient water infrastructure.

He further called on Universities to establish indisciplinary water quality research centres, and long-term observatories, as well as prioritizing applied water-quality research linked to policy

“Public enlighment on households water treatmen, water disposal, safety and storage should be sustained through schools,media, religious and traditional institutions” Professor Ibrahim concluded.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Gbenga Ibileye, said that water has no enemy to any living beings saying that water is a friend to all

“Professor Ibileye described the topic of the Inaugural Lecturer as fantastic as it afforded us to opportunity to reflect on what has been established by the Lecturer on quality water management for safety consumption

“The Distinguished Professor of Geography has done justice to his topic in the service of knowledge and stands to be discharged and acquitted” the VC Lauded.