The Kano State Commissioner of Environment Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso has urged participants at the workshop organised by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to utilize the opportunity through sharing experiences gained on the best way of data generation, analysis and interpretation for the benefit of the populace and the country at large.
The Commissioner made the call today through the State Project Coordinator of Kano-NEWMAP Alhaji Musa Shuaibu in a Good Will message delivered at the workshop that is currently holding at No. 5 Haitel Guess In Nassarawa GRA Kano State.
The workshop aimed at validating the activities of the World Bank-Assisted Projects (NEWMAP & TRIMING) on Hydromet System.
The Commissioner delightedly disclosed that provision of the equipment would greatly help in providing first-hand and effective data for proper planning, flood predictions and deserster management in the execution of infrastructural development.
Dr. Kabiru Getso recalled that, Kano-NEWMAP had conducted a Hybrid Training comprising both Local and International resource persons connected virtually between 7th to 9th October, 2021 at Hotel Seveenteen Kaduna, Kaduna State purposely to unveil the usefulness of the equipment to key stakeholders for maximum utilisation.
He also maintained that the workshop aimed at deliberating and validating the impact of the intervention to the Hydrological atmosphere of the nation and particularly to the North Western States of Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe and Borno States.
These States will continue to benefit from the installation of (2) weather stations at Challawa Gorge Dam in Karaye emirate of Kano State and Katagun Irrigation project in Zaki Local Government of Bauchi State as well as (2) telemetry station at River Wudil in Kano State and Hadejia Barrage in Jigawa State which falls under the corridor of Komadugu Yobe Basin, He added.
The Commissioner further stated that Kano State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje had in 2021 under component 2 of the Project has procured the equipment worth millions of Naira to be providing data on river gauge behaviour and weather parameters and were placed under the custody of Hadejia Jama’areRiver Basin Development Authority, it is expected that it will alongside key stakeholders like NIHSA, NIMET, Kano State Ministry of Water Resources and Kano State University of Science and Technology Wudil will be accessing hydrological and weather data for research analysis and planning purposes.
On his part, the State Project Coordinator Kano-NEWMAP, Alhaji Musa Shuaibu expressed satisfaction on how NIHSA is stepping forward to conduct the workshop in order to validate what was done as being recommended by the sponsors of the Project in a number of meetings and during other trainings held which call on the NIHSA to try and build more synergy between all these stations that are established by NEWMAP for better data generation that can be used for a number of things in the country.
Highlighting on the importance of data generation and documentation, the SPC Kano-NEWMAP shared experience, relating to the time when Kano-NEWMAP came on board and it has to produce designs on drainage areas, areas affected by erosion and the area where the project want to construct an earth dam (water conservation structures), the project faced serious challenges as all the Consultant engaged to support the project realised that there was no data.
The PC then hoped that the collaboration that is established between NEWMAP and TRIMING projects through NIHSA will work in such a way that further development planning would not be hindered by absence of data.
He particularly commended the NIHSA for guiding NEWMAP through out the process of procuring and installation of the right equipment.
Earlier Speaking the DG NIHSA Engr. Clement Nze in his opening remarks said that the validation workshop aimed at showcasing the impact of the NEWMAP and TRIMIMG projects on Hydromet System in Nigeria and by extension promoting the image of the Agency on their activities on hydrological data collection for the nation’s water resources management.
The DG also commended the National Project Coordinators of NEWMAP and TRIMING projects for the great intervention and also the States for keying into the projects and providing enabling support to ensuring the success of all the programmes and activities.
Participants were drawn from the NIHSA, NIMET, Ministries of Water Resources and Environment Resources, Kano-NEWMAP, TRIMING Project, HJRBDA, KUST Wudil among others.
MARYAM ABDULQADIR
Communication Officer
Kano-NEWMAP
