By Fatima Saka
The Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engineer Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has been appointed to the National Flood, Erosion, Drought, and Desertification Management Council (NFEDDMC) .
The appointment, endorsed by the National Economic Council (NEC) at its 142nd meeting on September 4, 2024, in State House, Abuja, entrusts Professor Utsev with the responsibility of addressing Nigeria’s pressing environmental issues.
The NFEDDMC, chaired by Nigeria’s Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima, serves as the nation’s strategic body in tackling environmental challenges such as flooding, erosion, drought, and desertification.
Key Council members include the governors of six Nigerian states, Kogi, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as federal representatives from agencies like the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Nigeria Meteorological Agency, National Water Resources Institute, and the National Emergency Management Agency.
Additional support comes from the National Inland Waterways Authority, Niger Delta Development Commission, North East Development Commission, and international development partners.
Professor Utsev’s expertise in water resources management is expected to play a crucial role in strengthening Nigeria’s resilience and improving its response to environmental crises. Vice-President Shettima formally inaugurated him and other Council members on November 1, 2024, at the State House, Abuja.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation views this appointment as a significant step towards bolstering Nigeria’s flood control, drought response, erosion prevention, and desertification management.
