A water expert, Mr Offorbuike Nnaji, has advocated the urgent need for Nigeria to use innovation to summount the perennial challenge of inefficient water supply and sanitation crisis across the country.
Mr Nnaji, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fordmarx Nigeria Ltd, made the call in Abuja at this year’s world water day celebration organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
The water engineer , while speaking on this year’s theme, accelerating change to solve water and sanitation crisis, emphasized that the reliance on the traditional water supply system was no longer feasible given the fast growing population of Nigeria.
As one of the proud Sponsors of thus year’s World Water Day, we proudly identify with the organisers of this programme, not only for the significance of the subject matter, but also for the choice of this year’s Theme: “Accelerating Change for solving the water and sanitation crisis’
He pledeged the readiness of his firm in intervening in the national situation , saying, “with our corporate sense of urgency in bringing innovation to our inefficient traditional water supply schemes and models”
Mr Nnaji commended the world bank for all it’s efforts and interventions in drawing attention to the water crisis in Nigeria.
“We salute the World Bank, and indeed the United Nations for using this day to draw global attention to this invaluable commodity and the need to harness its availability for the survival of mankind.
“There is a common saying in Nigeria that there is water everywhere but none for drinking. Yet the significance of water in health, sanitation, food production and security, economic development, cannot be overemphasized.
He painted a gory picture of the nation’s water situation in relation to the population explosion in the country.
He said Nigeria’s population has been projected to grow from 206 million to 263 million by 2030 and further to 733 million by 2050 when it is expected to remain the most populous country in Africa and the 7th in the world.
“This frightening statistics coupled with lack of strategic plans to grapple with these challenges make our people so vulnerable, not only to water shortages but also hunger and poverty.
“With an expected increase in rural – urban migration, the ravaging effects of climate change, Nigeria cannot but explore the full opportunities that water resources furnishes her now; because to fail to do so is to hand over our future to uncertainties
He maintained that the challenge facing Nigeria was how to achieve a nation-wide sustainable supply of affordable potable water for citizens, fast enough and with a green technological process.
He explained that the World Economic Forum (WEF) recently identified water and sanitation as one of greatest risks to global economic growth, just as.much of the water in Nigeria were largely unsafe for both drinking and industrial use due to technological backwardness.
Mr Nnaji said his company,
Fordmarx Nigeria Ltd was willing to use it’s competences in this regard to bail Nigeria out of the quagmire if the federal government was willing to partner with them.
“We have distinctive competences in Water Engineering and technology, specializing in turn-key water projects and schemes, in the highly technical areas of Water Geology, Borehole Drilling, Reticulation, Smart Metering and Billing technologies, all powered by our very reliable Solar technologies. We have strong presence in Irrigation technology as a means of addressing food insecurity and agricultural challenges.
“As part of our desire to assist the Federal Government in its job creation efforts, our business models can create over 20 Million productive jobs across industry within one year. Water is no doubt a natural resource of invaluable utility, which availability has remained a topical issue in our clime due largely to the out-dated technologies that are still being deployed in harnessing and harvesting this life-saving commodity” he added.
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