Nigerian government urged to establish more water quality monitoring labs

The Nigerian government has been advised to establish more laboratories and centers to monitor quality of water supplied to citizens in the country. The advice was given by Prof. Yohanna Lohdip of the department of Chemistry, University of Jos, Plateau state.


He gave the advice in his address at the first Central Regional Workshop of the National Water Resources Capacity Building Network held at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

He noted that if the quality of health of Nigerians was to improve, it was essential for the government to increase funding for water quality surveillance and establish Water Monitoring Laboratories in every state of Nigeria.

"Funding is key in order to achieve the objectives of any water quality monitoring programme,’’ he said.

The don said that transparent management of donor funds would encourage such donors to do more in the water sector.

Lohdip suggested that all levels of government should be given roles in water supply.

He said that local governments were well positioned to identify water challenges in their environment and cater for sanitation needs of the citizenry.

In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, said that stakeholders had gathered to tackle challenges of water resources and quality management in the nation’s North Central region.

According to him, the Senate of the university had approved the curriculum of the Masters of Science in Integrated Water Resources Management programme, due to begin in 2014/2015 academic session.

In his remarks, Mr. Olu Bamgboye, the Executive Director, National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna, who was represented by Mrs. Bilikisu Dosa, commended the University of Ilorin for living up to its responsibility as a partner.

Bamgboye said that the university was one of the six universities in the country chosen for a partnership with the National Water Resources Capacity Building Network.