National News
Nigeria Officially Become 48th Member of the UN Water Convention
Nigeria Officially Become 48th Member of the UN Water Convention
By: Michael Mike
Nigeria has taken a decisive step for cooperative water action by officially becoming the 48th Party to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention).
The decision was communicated to the rest of the world as leaders gather in New York for the milestone UN Water Conference,
A statement by United Nations on Friday said: “Nigeria has taken a decisive step for cooperative water action by officially becoming the 48th Party to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention).”
In the statement Nigeria is noted to share at least one transboundary water body with each of its neighbouring states, making cooperation a key part of transformative action needed to address complex water challenges.
According to the statement, at a ceremony held on the opening day of the Conference, Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, stated that “as water and climate change know no borders, transboundary cooperation concerning climate change adaptation is necessary to prevent the possible negative effects of unilateral adaptation measures and enable the sharing of the costs and benefits of such collaboration.”
He recalled that “many transboundary basins that will be most severely affected by water scarcity and related climate change impacts are also, in parallel, impacted by political tensions, armed violence and internal water mismanagement, thus necessitating urgent efforts to build trust and strengthen cooperation on shared water issues.”
The Minister was also quoted to have said: “I am pleased to announce to you that the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the leadership of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has acceded to the Water Convention as an instrument to help strengthen our existing Transboundary commitments under the auspices of the Niger Basin Authority and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.”
The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE), Olga Algayerova and Convention Parties welcomed Nigeria as the 7th African nation to join the Convention since 2018 (following Chad, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Togo and Cameroon). Nigeria’s accession further consolidates the strong momentum for water cooperation in Africa and worldwide. More than 20 countries worldwide are in the process of joining the UN Water Convention, including around 15 in Africa – where over 90% of water resources are transboundary.
Nigeria, given its role as the largest economy and most populous nation in Africa – with over 213 million inhabitants – and position in key shared basins including both Lake Chad and the River Niger, Nigeria’s accession may inspire even more countries to join the Convention and reap its benefits through strengthened joint management of shared water resources, according to the statement.
The statement noted that the Lake Chad Basin is the largest inland drainage area in Africa and covers 8% of the continent’s total land area. The basin extends through Algeria, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Central Africa Republic, Chad, and Sudan. In Nigeria, the basin drains about 20% of the country. However damming, overextraction, climate change, and drought are all contributing to the rapid depletion of Lake Chad, which has decreased in size by 90% over the last 60 years and has led to significant unemployment and insecurity challenges in the region.
Nigeria is also home to about 80% of the 100 million people residing in the basin of the Niger river, which crosses Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad.
The Water Convention, whose secretariat is serviced by UNECE, is a unique and widely accepted intergovernmental legal framework. It requires Parties to prevent, control and reduce negative impacts on water quality and quantity across borders, to use shared waters in a reasonable and equitable way, and to ensure their sustainable management through cooperation. Parties bordering the same transboundary waters are obliged to cooperate by concluding specific agreements and establishing joint bodies.
Nigeria Officially Become 48th Member of the UN Water Convention
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria in Ethiopia
By: Our Reporter
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria Hajiya Nana Shettima arrived Addis Ababa With Her Husband, Senator Kashim Shettima to attend the 30th General Assembly of Organization of African First Ladies For Development (OAFLAD) while The Vice President will be attending the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of States and Government on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Mrs Shettima is Representing First Lady of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON.
The African First Ladies are expected to Focus on internal issues and advance OAFLAD’s strategic priorities.
The 30th General Assembly’s open session under the theme “Building Resilience for Women and Girls: Climate, Conflict, and Sustainable Futures will be held on the 15th of February.
Mrs Shettima who left Abuja this afternoon for Addis Ababa the Capital of Ethiopia will participate in various meetings with African First Ladies spanning for Three Days
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria in Ethiopia
Vice President Shettima Arrives Ethiopia Ahead Of AU Summit
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government, as well as the 30th General Assembly, scheduled to hold on February 14 and 15, 2026, respectively.
The Vice President was received at the Bole International Airport by the Ethiopian Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr. Belete Mola, alongside the Ethiopian State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Berhanu tsegaye; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yussuf Tuggar; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Amb. Dunoma Ahmed; Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Nigeria, Ethiopia, Amb. Nasiru Aminu; Head of Consular and Ambassador-Designate, Amb. Geoffrey Chima and other government officials.
On arrival, the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Tuggar, debriefed the Vice President on his itinerary at the Summit.
This year’s AU summit, with the theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” will focus on advancing continental commitments toward sustainable water management, improved sanitation systems, and the broader development aspirations encapsulated in the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.
Besides the Heads of State meetings, Senator Shettima will participate in high-level side events, and bilateral engagements with political and business leaders aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, and strategic partnerships across the continent.
Speaking with journalists after debriefing the Vice President, Amb. Tuggar said the launch of the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD) is a strategic move to consolidate and strengthen the democratic culture in Africa.
On the gains of the summit, the Minister noted that the country was already taking in the benefits of her participation, with the confirmati on of Nigeria as the host of the African Monetary Institute and the African Central Bank as well as its nomination to the board of the bank.
Vice President Shettima Arrives Ethiopia Ahead Of AU Summit
National News
VP Shettima Departs Abuja to Represent President Tinubu at the 2026 African Union Summit
VP Shettima Departs Abuja to Represent President Tinubu at the 2026 African Union Summit
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2026 African Union (AU) Summit.
The Summit, themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” will focus on advancing continental commitments toward sustainable water management, improved sanitation systems, and the broader development aspirations encapsulated in the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.
While in Addis Ababa, the Vice President will join other African leaders at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government, as well as the 30th General Assembly, scheduled to hold on February 14 and 15, 2026, respectively.
On the margins of the Summit, Senator Shettima will participate in high-level side events and hold bilateral engagements with political and business leaders aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, and strategic partnerships across the continent.
The Vice President is accompanied by cabinet ministers and other senior government officials. He is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of his official engagements in Addis Ababa.
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