The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC), has pledged a heightened commitment to reforming water governance and ensuring it serves the broader goal of national development.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Dr. Abdulmumini Aminu Zaria, the Executive Director of NIWRMC, clarified the commission’s crucial role. He explained that NIWRMC functions as the sole national regulatory body tasked with the planning, management, and regulation of all water resources that are shared by more than one state. This mandate involves several critical functions: licensing water use, coordinating allocation planning, monitoring usage, enforcing regulations, actively protecting water bodies from pollution or misuse, and resolving conflicts related to water rights.
Dr. Zaria admitted that there were existing issues within the sector, which the commission has proactively begun to address. He outlined recent reforms aimed squarely at restoring order to the system, significantly strengthening institutional processes, and boosting staff motivation.
Listing the key accomplishments of his first 100 days in office, Dr. Zaria highlighted successful staff engagement meetings, the official inauguration of a dedicated think tank team, and, critically, the revival of catchment management offices located across the country.
He affirmed that these focused actions have already yielded tangible results, leading to improved availability of reliable data, a noticeable lift in staff morale, increased institutional visibility, and better overall collaboration with other essential government bodies. The commission is signaling a new era of strict oversight to safeguard Nigeria’s shared water assets.
