The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN) have agreed to strengthen their collaboration on public enlightenment, water resources management, flood forecasting, and early warning systems. This partnership aims to enhance the dissemination of critical hydrological information to vulnerable communities across Nigeria. The Director-General of NIHSA, Architect Umar Muhammed, emphasized the importance of closer collaboration with the media in disseminating early warnings on flooding and other water-related risks.
Muhammed stressed that effective management of water resources was essential to preventing water scarcity, contamination, and outbreaks of water-related diseases. He warned that poor environmental management could have serious consequences for public health, including the risk of water-borne diseases and scarcity. The NIHSA boss also expressed concern over the contamination of streams and other water bodies through human activities, noting that such practices could increase the risks of diseases and other public health challenges.
The EMCAN Chairman, Joycelyn Ellakeche Adah, said the association considered NIHSA's mandate critical to the safety and wellbeing of Nigerians, particularly its responsibilities for hydrology, flood forecasting, early warning systems, and water resources management. She said the association had continued to report the activities of NIHSA but was seeking to deepen the relationship under its new leadership through stronger collaboration and capacity building.
Adah explained that EMCAN was interested in building stronger relationships with key environmental agencies while ensuring that its members acquired the technical knowledge required to accurately report specialised issues. She called for a structured partnership between EMCAN and NIHSA, saying journalists who understood the agency's operations first-hand would be better positioned to explain its activities and warnings to the public.
The association also used the visit to seek NIHSA's support for its planned coverage of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31), scheduled to hold in Türkiye. The EMCAN Chairman requested sponsorship for two or three members of the association to attend the conference. Responding, Muhammed said NIHSA was also preparing for COP31 and was exploring collaboration with international development partners, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
The Special Assistant on Media to the NIHSA DG, Yakub Aliyu, and the Technical Adviser to the NIHSA Director-General, Stephen Jabo, also spoke during the visit. They called for closer collaboration with environmental journalists, particularly in publicity and specialised media training. They noted that Nigeria faced both water scarcity and excess water challenges, including flooding, while contamination of water sources remained a major concern.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the visit would mark the beginning of a sustained partnership focused on public enlightenment, professional development, early warning dissemination, and improved reporting of Nigeria's water and environmental challenges. The partnership aims to equip journalists with the technical knowledge required to report hydrological and environmental issues accurately and provide critical information on flooding and other water-related issues to communities.
Key points
- NIHSA and EMCAN partner to enhance public enlightenment, water resources management, and flood forecasting in Nigeria.
- The partnership aims to equip journalists with technical knowledge to report hydrological and environmental issues accurately.
- The collaboration seeks to provide critical information on flooding and other water-related issues to vulnerable communities.
