URGENT STEPS NEEDED TO PROTECT NIGERIA’S GROUNDWATER, SAYS UNIVERSITY LECTURER
Read Time:1 Minute, 53 Second
By: Fasasi Hammad
Nigeria’s groundwater reserves are facing increasing pressure from falling water tables, contamination, excessive abstraction, and climate change, according to Prof. Idris-Nda Abdullahi of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna). He urged government authorities to implement urgent reforms to ensure the protection and sustainable management of the country’s aquifers.
The professor made this call while presenting the 119th Inaugural Lecture of FUT Minna on Thursday, 12 February 2026, at the University Auditorium, Main Campus.
Titled “Invisible but Indispensable: Groundwater, Wells, and the Environmental Legacy We Must Build,” the lecture underscored the essential role groundwater plays in supporting livelihoods, ecosystems, and economic growth.
Prof. Abdullahi revealed that roughly 60 per cent of Nigerians rely on groundwater for drinking water — including 73 per cent of rural populations and 45 per cent of urban residents — noting that Minna depends largely on boreholes and wells for household supply.
He described groundwater as a largely unseen but highly valuable resource stored in aquifers beneath the earth’s surface and replenished through rainfall infiltration. While over 70 per cent of the Earth is covered by water, he explained, only a limited portion is freshwater, with groundwater accounting for a substantial share of the world’s readily accessible potable water.
The lecturer discussed modern groundwater exploration techniques, best practices in well construction, and the need for professional hydrogeological supervision. He also corrected common misconceptions, clarifying that groundwater does not move through underground rivers and that drilling deeper wells does not automatically yield more water.
Connecting groundwater management to the Sustainable Development Goals, he emphasized its importance in reducing poverty, enhancing food security, improving public health, and promoting sustainable urban growth.
Prof. Abdullahi further advocated stronger enforcement of water policies, proper licensing of boreholes, professional oversight, enhanced water quality monitoring, climate-resilient infrastructure, and urban planning measures aimed at safeguarding aquifers. He called on policymakers, experts, and communities to treat groundwater as a vital environmental heritage for future generations.
In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Faruk Adamu Kuta praised the lecture as timely and impactful, describing it as both intellectually enriching and socially significant. He added that the presentation highlights the crucial role universities play in producing research that shapes public policy and drives national development.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0