The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu has described the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA)’s Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) and other innovations as the product of diligence and consistency, despite the challenge of funds’ paucity.
Speaking during a working visit to the agency over the weekend in Abuja, he also commended the previous administrations for seeing the need to establish the agency which plays a critical role in the socio-economic growth of the nation, as regards the early warning information on the flood scenario in the country.
Adamu further stressed the need for the continuous synergy between the agency and the river basin development authorities (RBDAs) as instructed on the procurement and establishment of the hydro-meteorological stations, with specifications by NIHS at the RBDA’s catchments, to meet up with the minimum network density recommended by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Emphasising groundwater resources management, with a view to the theme of this year’s World Water Day celebration, “Making the invisible visible” he urged NIHSA to make concerted efforts to map the present state of the nation’s ground water resources, taking into consideration its exploitation. He stated that the agency should tap facts and establish a very robust groundwater resources management programme.
Admonishing the agency as the “nerve-centre of water resources”, he called on its management to work with sister agencies professional and diligent in their work and proffered ways out of the agency’s current challenges.
Earlier in his remarks, the NIHSA director-general, Engr. Clement Nze, described the minister’s working visit as historic, as the management and staff of NIHSA have been looking forward to it.
While noting that the minister was acquainted with the agency’s activities, Nze reeled out the agency’s achievements under the minister’s supervision; 74 groundwater monitoring boreholes have been drilled, with 33 Sutron Meteosat data collection platforms (DCPs), 36 telemetry DCP stations through the intervention of the TRIMMING Project, 18 automatic weather observation systems (AWOS) (including 3 from NEMA).
He further informed that 273 manual staff gauge stations have been established, while 10 series of Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) have been published and launched, with 7 editions under the supervision of the HM, amongst others.
Nze thanked the minister for stopping by but outlined some pressing needs – operational vehicles, office accommodation – which could not wait anymore. A statement by the agency’s head of press and public relations unit, Mrs. Lauretta Samuel, said other highlights of the meeting were discussions, questions and inputs from management staff of NIHSA present at the occasion.
