The Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC) is a unique Regulatory Organization, involving a partnership of the Federal, States, Local Governments and the Federal Capital Territory.
Mandate: To regulate, protect, conserve and control Water Resources defined in this Law as the “National Water Resources” (Act 2004) for equitable and sustainable social and economic development, also to maintain the environmental integrity of the ecosystem.
Vision: To be a world class Water Resources Regulatory Agency delivering sufficient quantity and quality of water, for all uses and users.
Mission: To provide socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, as well as effective and efficient Regulation of the Nation’s Water Resources
Purpose and Functions of the NIWRMC
- The Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission is a unique Regulatory Organization, involving a partnership of the Federal, States, Local Governments and the Federal Capital Territory.
- The purpose of this partnership, would be enabled by the National Water Resources Act which seeks essentially to promote and coordinate effective planning and management for the equitable distribution of Water Resources in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner, which implies the use of water, land and other related environmental resources of the shared National and International Water Resources.
The Commission has amongst many others the following functions:
- Implement regulatory policies on activities relating to the management of Water Resources in Nigeria;
- Be responsible for economic and technical regulation of all aspects of Water Resources exploitation and provision (construction, operation, maintenance and tariffs) of public and private Water Resources infrastructure;
- Ensure the safety and quality of Water Resources development and public water services by regulating standards for execution and performance;
- Issue Water Resources licenses in accordance with the provisions of the Act;
- Monitor the conduct of holders of the licenses and to enforce the conditions included in the licenses;
- Monitor and report to the Minister charges paid by consumers, the performance of licensees and other persons in meeting the standards developed under the Act.
Strategy Development
- The strategy is intended to provide for present and future water needs as well as support better collaboration amongst government agencies with responsibilities for Water Regulation.
- It recognizes that water itself is dynamic, Water Regulatory decisions must be able to adapt to seasonal and climatic variability.
- Water decisions affects the environment, social and economic conditions. Decision makers need to take a wide array of circumstances into account including:
- Climate variability and change
- Aging infrastructure
- Population growth
- Cumulative effects
- Technological innovations
- Changing water demands
- Water management regime
- Consumption levels
- Land use changes
- This Strategic Plan is coming at a time when the National Water Resources has to be effectively managed so as to ensure access to the National diversification process of the economy.
- Insufficient availability and widespread water use restrictions have severely limited the economic growth of the nation and aggravated stresses on the natural resource base.
- Nigeria is categorized by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) as experiencing physical and economic water scarcity.
- The nation by virtue of its position downstream of all the shared rivers is “hostage to hydrology”.
- The centrality of Water Resources management to poverty reduction and economic growth of the nation, the limitation of past efforts are part the reasons that led to the reforms in the Water Sector which informed the creation of the Commission to drive the attainment of IWRM goals.
- The principal goal of the public reform as it affects Water Resources sector, as can be deduced from the vision and mission statement, is to reposition the Commission to provide the desired regulatory functions, necessary for the attainment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
For more info, visit www.niwrmc.gov.ng
