By Chris Agabi
As the pangs of global warming takes it’s toll on the Lake Chad basin has shrunk by about 90 percent of the water body, the Federal Government has announced plans to revive the lake that is at the risk of drying up.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev disclosed some comprehensive measures on Monday at the Water Summit and Exhibition held at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Some of the measures he announced include, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding MoU between the Lake Chad Basin Commission and a Chinese company on the proposed Inter Basin Water Transfer Project from the Congo Basin into Lake Chad with a commitment of 1.5 million euros from the Italian government towards finalising the feasibility study on the proposed Inter Basin Water Transfer Project.
A statement by Terhemen Oraduen, the Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation quoted the minister to have also said “as part of measures to improve water inflow to the Lake Chad Basin,the Federal Government has initiated and implemented the Hawal inter-basin water transfer with the aim of augmenting raw water supply to Alau Dam in Maiduguri to provide more sustainable sources of water supply to Maiduguri and environs while the phase two of the project would provide water to resuscitate the sixty thousand Ha South Chad Irrigation Scheme, which had become moribund following continuous drying up of Lake Chad over the years, by diverting some of the water from Hawal to South Chad through canals and tunnels.”
Professor Utsev said the ministry under his watch is currently undertaking some key projects and programmes to increase access to safe and sufficient water to meet the water needs of citizens which include Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene PEWASH, Sustainable Urban -Rural Water Sanitation and Hygiene SURWASH aimed at improving water supply in both rural and urban areas as well as sanitation in public places.
The Minister who expressed appreciation to the World Bank for its support to address the water challenges in the country, described the summit as timely as it has afforded critical stakeholders in the water sector the opportunity to exchange insight on key issues bedeveling the country on climate-related challenges to water resources and sustainable technology solutions.
Representative of World Bank Mr Vinay Vutukuruv who spoke at the event announced over seven hundred thousand US dollar intervention from the bank to expand access to water supply and sanitation in Nigeria.
The highpoint of the occasion was the inspection and driving of the made in Nigeria electronic car on exhibition.
