Kenny Folarin, Abuja
The Convener of Network of Female Professionals in WASH in Nigeria and Diaspora, Dr Boluwaji Onabolu has launched the Generation Transformer Training for Youth and Women in Plumbing.
Onabolu while speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the Commemoration of the World Water Day and International Women’s Day 2022 noted that the training which is 100% fully sponsored would be carried out by the National Water Research Institute (NWRI).
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According to Onabolu, the training will improve sustainability of water infrastructure such that the plumbers would be be able to repair the constructed boreholes donated to communities.
She explained that 10 selected women and youth who will benefit from the training would help improve water provision and managment in the country.
Meanwhile, Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu harped on the need for stakeholders collaboration to improve the managment and effective utilization of the water resources.
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Suleiman explained that groundwater is not an infinite resource; as it could be depleted when more water is abstracted from Aquifers than is being recharged by rain or snow.
He lamented that over-abstraction by humans and climate variability are increasing the pressure on ground water resources thereby affecting an estimated 60percent of the Nigerian population that depend on groundwater for their main drinking source and over 70percent of the people living in rural communities who depend on it for survival.
Suleiman stressed that all hands must be on deck to acknowledge and mitigate pressures from exploitation, contamination and climate change on groundwater.
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He said against this backdrop, there is need for the Ministry would be working closely withbeyond.such as FEMinWASH and other stakeholders including the State Water Agencies, River Basins, Development partners to maximize the potential of groundwater use in a sustainable and equitable way in order to make this resource visible.
The Director General of the Nation Water Research Institute Emmanuel Adama in his remark revealed that according to a research carried out to access Nigeria’s groundwater level in 1995, the water level was at 50billion cubic meter, when they carried out the same study in 2015 the water level was at 40billion cubic meter.
He lamented that Nigeria is very reckless in water management saying although if the groundwater resource is well managed it can last more than 50years or beyond.