The Federal Government has called for stronger hydrodiplomacy, regional cooperation and strategic investments to address shared water, climate, environmental and development challenges confronting the Niger and Lake Chad Basins.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, made the call on Monday at the Regional Conference on Hydrodiplomacy, Gender and Strategic Investments for Peace, Stability and Shared Prosperity in Transboundary Basins in Abuja.
Utsev said the conference provided an important platform for advancing sustainable water resources management, climate resilience and peaceful development across the region.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), ECOWAS, governments, development partners, financial institutions, civil society organisations and communities.
According to him, such partnerships are particularly important in the areas of water supply and sanitation, ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation.
The minister also called for stronger collaboration between the NBA and LCBC, urging participants to translate the outcomes of the conference into concrete actions capable of promoting peace, stability, resilience and shared prosperity across the region.
In his address, the Executive Secretary of the NBA, Mr. Kocou Houanye, said the conference would deepen regional cooperation in tackling climate change, insecurity and natural-resource conflicts, while promoting regional integration and strategic investments.
Houanye disclosed that physical implementation of the Integrated Development and Climate Change Adaptation Programme in the Niger Basin (PIDACC) had reached 48.3 per cent, while financial implementation stood at 57 per cent.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the LCBC, Amb. Ibrahim Babani, highlighted the commission’s efforts to strengthen evidence-based water management.
He stressed the importance of active participation by women and young people in water diplomacy, peacebuilding and innovation, particularly as countries in the region confront growing environmental and security challenges.
The Representative of German Cooperation (GIZ), Mrs. Hanna Albrecht, commended Nigeria, the NBA and LCBC for sustaining regional cooperation.
Albrecht said climate change, pressure on natural resources, insecurity and threats to livelihoods required coordinated and community-focused responses, while reaffirming GIZ’s readiness to support basin organisations and member states through technical expertise, institutional cooperation and community participation.
Earlier, the representative of Germany and the European Union, Dr. Karin Jansen, reaffirmed support for the NBA and LCBC, stressing the importance of strong institutions, reliable information, community participation and member-state ownership in promoting transboundary cooperation, peace and sustainable development.
The Representative of the National Focal Structure of the NBA in Nigeria, Mrs. Angela Keyede, said the conference provided an important platform for strengthening cooperation on water resources management, climate resilience, peace and security, population movement and sustainable development.
The conference brought together representatives of governments, basin organisations, development partners, financial institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector and community stakeholders to deliberate on practical approaches to regional cooperation, strategic investment and shared prosperity across the Niger and Lake Chad Basins.
The conference, which commenced on Monday, is expected to end on Wednesday, with participants expected to develop actionable outcomes aimed at strengthening cooperation and sustainable development across the transboundary basins.
