Follow Us on Google
From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has called for stronger collaboration with environmental journalists to deliver timely flood warnings and information on water safety to vulnerable communities.
Director-General of the agency, Umar Muhammed, made the call in Abuja when he received the Executive Council of the Environmental Media Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (EMCAN), led by its chairman, Joycelyn Ellekeche Adah.
Muhammed said the media remained critical to public awareness of water resources management, flood forecasting, early warning systems and other hydrological issues.
He warned that poor environmental management and contamination of water sources could worsen water scarcity and expose communities to water-related diseases.
“If you do not have a good environment and water resources, one day, you’ll wake up and you’d be shocked with what you see. Either you totally run out of water or you have no clean water,” he said.
He noted that human activities contributed significantly to the pollution of streams and other water bodies, stressing the need to get accurate information to people at risk.
“We will need an organisation like yours to interface with the public and disseminate quality information for public use,” he said.
Other News
Responding to EMCAN’s request for sponsorship to cover the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) in Turkey, Muhammed said the agency operated within a statutory funding framework.
He said NIHSA was collaborating with international development partners and would explore opportunities for additional participation, but could not make a definite commitment.
“If we are able to secure quite a number of slots, why not? Definitely, it’s something that we could consider,” he said.
Earlier, Adah said the association had begun raising funds for its members to attend the climate conference and sought support for two or three representatives.
Special Assistant on Media to the agency, Yakub Aliyu, also called for closer collaboration with environmental journalists through publicity and capacity building.
He said Nigerians needed a better understanding of NIHSA’s mandate and the role of hydrological information in preventing disasters.
Aliyu noted that the country faced water scarcity, flooding and contamination, and expressed the agency’s interest in specialised training to equip journalists to report these issues accurately.
