Invest in water, environment to boost Nigeria’s economy – IWMI declares

By Maryam Abeeb

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has disclosed that Nigeria has the capacity to turn around its economic growth with huge investment into exploring opportunities in the environment, sanitation, water, and agriculture sectors.
This was made known by the IWMI lead consultant, Dr. Boluwaji Onabolu, at a stakeholders’ engagement workshop on ‘Assessment of the Investment Climate for Bio-Circular Economy in Nigeria.
She explained that the institute has set up modalities for Nigeria to use solid waste from the agriculture, water, sanitation and energy sources for economic development, adding that Bio-Circular Economy uses renewable biological resources from land and sea, such as crops, forests, fish, animals and microorganisms, to produce food, health, materials, products, textiles and energy.
According to her, the rising global demand for water, food, and energy, in the context of a growing deficit and competing uses, reinforced the need for more investments in circular economy approaches.
She said: “We have learnt about studies that revealed that 183 million Nigerians do not have access to clean energy, so this is why IWMI has facilitated this workshop.
“We will have answers to some of the questions, why is it that these businesses like changing solid wastes into energy forms like biogas, and why is it that they are not able to sustain their growth?”
Also speaking, President, Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigeria, Prof. Olumuyiwa Jayeoba, noted that many opportunities abound in the agriculture value chain.
Jayeoba said if Nigeria managed climate change and its impact well, it would have an advantage in the agricultural sector.
He opined that climate smart agriculture would sustainably increase productivity and income, and attainment of the National Food Security and Development Goals.
Similarly, IWMI’s Regional Director, Dr Olufunke Cofie, who spoke virtually, said most of the resource reuse and recovery initiatives that aim to recover energy, water, and nutrients fall short of the estimated potential contribution to the economy and sustainable development.
Cofie said consequently, such businesses are unable to expand and sustain themselves, as theoretically projected that they should be able to.
On her part, a sanitation and hygiene expert, Ms. Nneka Akunwa, said Nigeria has a huge market for sanitation products and services.
According to her, half of Nigeria’s population, about 111 million people, do not have a decent toilet of their own, lacking basic or safely managed sanitation.