By Steve Oni, Ilorin
The Nigerian Association of Hydro geologists (NAH), has warned of imminent water crisis by 2020 because of poor management of groundwater basins in the country.
The President of the Association, Ehidiamhen Olumese, raised the alarm in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, while addressing journalists after the National Executive Meeting (NEC) of the association.
Olumese, who noted that efforts to ameliorate such crisis would include acquisition of both hydrological and hydrogeological data as well as systematic study of basin aquifers, suggested that updating and full implementation of the national water resources master plan have now become imperative.
He said this development called for a strong financial commitment and prudent management of available resources such as state Ministry of Water Resources and support to River Basin Development Authority to achieve their mandate based on set targets that can be evaluated periodically.
He said: “The ground water level is going down and we are giving water projects to quacks. Indiscriminate sinking of boreholes are not helping the matter, we must become aware of this and do something. Projects are executed without professional counseling, Hydro geologists are not consulted.
“The Lake Chad is shrinking and this may soon be causing loss of jobs”, he said.
Olumese lamented that the government was inconsistent with the River Basin and that if it shows commitment, Nigeria can feed the whole of Africa.
The NAH President disclosed that the association’s 29th annual conference, tagged Ilorin 2017 will hold in Ilorin, the Kwara capital from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10.
He said the conference has as its theme, “Strategies to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Water Resources”.
Olumese explained that the conference will also focus on climate change and inter-basin water transfer, surface and ground water resources management, environmental monitoring and restoration as sub-theme.
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