A new agency to be named the National Council on Water Resources will be set up to coordinate and regulate the water sector of the country when the controversial new bill on water resources is passed and signed into law.
The federal lawmakers have concluded clause by clause approval and the two chambers may soon harmonise their drafts for final passage and submission to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
The agency to take over the functions of the existing Council will be chaired by the Minister of Water Resources and meet at least once a year or as directed by the minister will have as members, state Commissioners for Water Resources, or any other person responsible for water resources in the 36 States of the federation. The members will dissolve into committees and sub-committees to investigate and analyse issues tabled for discussion before the Council and also formulate recommendations.
The Council, which derives its powers from the Act and its regulations on its passage and assent, shall establish rules to govern its proceedings, the workings of its committees, and its decision-making processes while its annual reports detailing its discussions and recommendations shall be made public through publication in the official gazette and transmitted to its members within one month from the date of the last council meeting.
Functions of the Council according to the bill that is still at the National Assembly include providing guidance for and review of the formulation of national water-related legislation; water resources, water supply, and sanitation policies and strategies; and master plans; in addition to providing a forum for coordination across water sub-sectors and discussion of issues of national importance.
Other functions expected of the Council are providing a forum for mediation of issues on the use or management of water resources arising between sub-sectors or across river-basin boundaries; and the review of the performance of the water resources sector in Nigeria as well as the Nation’s compliance with obligations of international agreements and commitments on water-related matters.
The Permanent Secretary shall be the secretary, and also the chairperson of the Technical Committee of the Council will be in charge of the secretariat of the Council which is the administrative body that will convene meetings, administer activities of the Council, and also coordinate the working of its committees.
The Technical Committee, which reports to the Secretary who is also the permanent secretary, will draw members from relevant institutions such as members of the water resources committees of the National and State Houses of Assemblies), and professional bodies as well as stakeholders in the water resources sector at Federal, State, and Local Government levels, and Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies in water resources, environment, agriculture, health, inland waterways, and minerals resources.
Other areas where experts could come in are forestry, hydroelectric power generation, women affairs, surveyor-general of the federation, national planning and development, and state water and environment agencies, water consumers, water users associations, associations of local governments, community-based organizations, bodies responsible for protected or conservation area, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency, civil society organisations; and private sector and resource persons.
The Council on establishment shall draw funds from the national budget appropriated by the National Assembly while the cost of participation of its members including those in the technical Committees shall be borne by the organizations that they represent and may also be subsidise by the Council cipants.
The Council on constitution will regulate Nigeria’s water resources prospects which the 2013 Master-plan put at an average precipitation of 1,150mm with total internal generation of the runoff of 244 billion cubic meters (BCM)/year and surface water resources potential of about 333BCM/year.
The internal generation of total water resources potential is estimated at 287BCM/year while the total water resources potential with inflow from neighbouring countries is estimated at 375BCM/year.
88BCM/year of water comes from neighbouring countries, which roughly indicates that almost 24 percent of surface water resources in Nigeria relies on inputs from neighbouring countries. The total groundwater resources potential is estimated at 156BCM/year as a renewable source on the basis of the estimated groundwater recharge.
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