Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) has ratified the UN Water Convention on the Protection and use of Trans-Border Water Courses and International Lakes.
Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, told newsmen in Abuja that Nigeria has three trans-border waters viz the Rivers Niger and Benue and the Lake Chad.
“This is a UN Convention and it is called the Water Convention.
“Countries are required to accede to this convention and to also get it ratified by the government; so, the council ratified this convention today (Wednesday).
“The convention has a lot of benefits for Nigeria because of our numerous transboundary waters and we need to strengthen cooperation with members with who we share the same basin.
“In addition to the fact that we are members of the Niger Basin Authority and the Benue River Commission, joining the international convention will give us better recognition and we will have better bargaining power for lots of issues that have to do with transboundary waters,” Adamu said.
Adamu said that the ratification also rhymed with Nigeria’s efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals; specifically Goal 6.5 with the need to consolidate existing cooperation with neighbouring countries and the issues of groundwater and transboundary waters.
He said that transboundary waters might be groundwater and surface water.
“We are the third country within the Niger Basin Authority to accede after Chad and Cameroun.
“We hope that subsequently, other countries would also join this convention.
