*urges urgent infrastructure overhaul
Professor Mary Ezemonye, a hydrology and water‑resources expert at the University of Benin, has called on all tiers of government to urgently invest in and maintain water infrastructure to avert a looming national water crisis.
Speaking at the university’s 354th inaugural lecture titled “Water Scarcity, Water Stress and Water Security: The ‘S’ Syndrome,” Ezemonye, warned that persistent neglect of Nigeria’s water systems could make future restoration both costly and unsustainable.
She noted that most developing nations, including Nigeria, have yet to achieve water security because of poor hydrological management.
“Hydrological poverty means a nation cannot consistently provide clean water to all its people,” she said, adding that many urban and rural communities depend heavily on groundwater, a dangerous reliance if not properly regulated.
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“Unplanned groundwater abstraction will soon trigger irreversible disasters,” she cautioned.
Ezemonye urged a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s water‑governance framework, stressing that sound planning and regulation are essential for sustainable, universal access to clean water.
“Nigeria must tackle widespread inefficiencies in handling scarcity, stress, and insecurity. Water governance must be a national priority,” she emphasised.
She called on federal, state, and local authorities to take decisive control of water abstraction and supply systems to prevent impending environmental and public‑health emergencies.
