Good Water Management Reduces Poverty - Minister

from All Africa

Daily Trust (Abuja)

NEWS

By Misbahu Bashir

Effective utilization and management of water resources will reduce poverty, the Minister of Agricu-lture and Water Resources has said.

The minister who was represented by the minister of state, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri, made the remarks at the inauguration of the House Co-mmittee on Water Resources at the National Assembly Comp-lex.

The minister observed that the efficient development and management of the water resources of a nation is a sine qua non for sustainable socio-economic development throu-gh poverty alleviation, job creation, food security and self-sufficiency.

The minister noted that Nigeria is blessed with abund-ant surface and ground water resources estimated at 226 billion and 406 billion cubic meters respectively.

He stated that if properly harnessed, Nigeria's water resources can satisfy all human, industrial, agricultural and livestock needs of the society.

The Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, who was represented by House Majority Leader, Hon Baba Shehu Agaye proposed the enthronement of an inte-grated water resources manag-ement to fast-track the achieve-ment of the Millennium Develo-pment Goals(MDGs) by 2015.

The Speaker said while countries in other continents were already close to achieving the MDGs target, their counterparts in Sub- Saharan Africa were still lagging behind.

She also assured Nigerians that the legislative arm of government would not relent until appropriate legislations were put in place to enable Nigeria meet its domestic and international obligations, especially NEEDS and MDG's.

Chairman of the House Committee on Water, Hon. Terngu Tsegba, decried the conflicting statutory powers in the sector; non-recognition of the role of the private sector and communities, as well as lack of adequate provision for inter-spectral coordination and appropriate tariff setting.