By YANGE IKYAA
The minister of water resources and sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has affirmed the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with the Nigerian Institute of Civil Engineers on infrastructural development and project implementation, especially regarding dams and other vital water structures.
Prof. Utsev stated this during a courtesy visit by the chairman and select members of the institute to his office in Abuja recently.
The minister, who has a distinguished background as a civil engineering scholar, lecturer, and mentor, further expressed his unwavering support for student registration within the institute.
He encouraged the institute to ensure the success of the upcoming International Conference of Civil Engineers and to uphold the tenets of the profession.
During the courtesy visit, Chukwudi Ezugu, the National Chairman of the Institute of Civil Engineers, highlighted the ministry’s pivotal role in formulating policies related to water resources, sanitation, irrigation, portable water supply, underground water exploration, exploitation, and hydrological data.
Ezugu added that these elements are essential for civil engineers when designing runoff systems and drainage.
Emphasizing the significance of irrigation in agriculture, Ezugu stated that any nation lacking food self-sufficiency faces significant challenges.
He commended the minister’s substantial contributions to food production in Nigeria, particularly through river basin development authorities and various water projects.
According to him, the institute’s achievement in developing an Open Defecation Eradication Strategy booklet was successfully launched in September 2022.
