Nigeria’s groundwater resources face mounting pressures from falling water tables, pollution, over-extraction, and climate change, a leading academic has warned, urging immediate government action to safeguard the nation’s aquifers.
Professor Idris-Nda Abdullahi of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, delivered the warning during the university’s 119th Inaugural Lecture on February 12, 2026. Titled “Invisible but Indispensable: Groundwater, Wells, and the Environmental Legacy We Must Build,” his presentation underscored groundwater’s essential role in human survival, ecosystems, and economic progress.
Professor Abdullahi highlighted that approximately 60% of Nigerians rely on groundwater for drinking, a dependency that rises to 73% in rural areas and stands at 45% in urban centres. In Minna, the capital of Niger State, the municipal supply depends heavily on boreholes and wells. He described groundwater as a hidden, renewable resource stored in aquifers and primarily replenished by rainfall infiltration, constituting a major source of the world’s accessible freshwater despite the planet’s overall water composition.
The professor outlined advancements in groundwater exploration and well construction, emphasizing the necessity for professional hydrogeological oversight. He corrected common myths, stating that groundwater does not flow in subterranean rivers and that simply drilling deeper does not ensure greater water yield. Linking aquifer health to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, he connected sustainable groundwater management to poverty alleviation, food security, public health, and resilient urban development.
To address the threats, Professor Abdullahi advocated for stricter enforcement of water policies, a robust borehole licensing system, mandatory professional supervision, enhanced water quality monitoring, climate-resilient infrastructure, and integrated urban planning to protect recharge zones. He implored policymakers, industry professionals, and communities to treat groundwater as a critical environmental inheritance for future generations.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Faruk Adamu Kuta praised the lecture as both timely and highly relevant to Nigeria’s developmental challenges. He noted that the lecture exemplifies how universities can produce research that directly informs national policy and drives sustainable development. The call to action places groundwater management firmly on the agenda for Nigeria’s environmental and socioeconomic planning.
