By Sidi A. Umar
Sokoto
A three days talk shop to reach a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and Niger Republic on sharing, conservation and use of both countries’ common water resources have begun in Sokoto.
The meeting which is taking place at Shukura Coral Hotel, Sokoto, was organised by the Nigeria/Niger Joint Commission for Co-operation (NNJCC).
Declaring the meeting open, the governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakardan Wamakko, urged the participants to put into consideration the cordial relationship that existed between the two countries for a very long time.
“Nigeria and Niger are one, take it into your deliberations that we are brothers, only separated by colonial masters’,” he said.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Mohammed Jabbi Kilgori, said the government of Sokoto state was aware of the difficulties and problems being experienced by people in the affected villages and towns.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the secretary-general, Nigeria/Niger Joint Commission for Co-operation, Amb. Abubakar Abduljalil Suleiman, said Nigeria and Niger had been endowed with shared water resources whose reservation, conservation and exploitation were regulated by the bilateral agreement.
He said the countries had within the framework of the agreement implementation initiated several joint development projects amongst which were the integrated ecosystem management and projects of transfer of water coupled with the development of hydro-agricultural schemes.
He said the two presidents had committed their governments, used their wisdom and spirit of understanding in addressing the water issues.
Suleiman, however, reminded the participants that a lot still needed to be done in order to realise the ultimate objective of providing the people of both countries with satisfactory responses to legitimate expectations.
The Nigerian delegation was led by Alhaji Wakili Adamu, while the Niger delegation was led by Mr. Jacku Abu Kure.
