Nigerian water bodies in jeopardy: the need for sustainable management and security

The problems of supplying sufficient and sustainable potable water when needed or where it is wanted in sufficient quantities and qualities are acute in Africa. African's problem is not that of scarcity alone but the uncontrollable pollution of the available water bodies in both urban and rural areas. Most dams have become 'dams of death' due to the complexity of disease-causing organisms and toxic substances they contain. The UN declared 2005-2015 the 'water for life decade' with a focus on water related issues, but half of the period is gone without much impact being felt on the continent in terms of accessibility, sanitation, proper management and security. Nigeria is faced with the challenges of oil spillage in the south which has killed virtually all aquatic life forms and rendered the people without potable water for domestic use. Also ravaging the country is the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in lagoons, ponds and rivers in the west, gully erosion which has turned most rivers in the east into 'death traps' and the deserted dams and rivers in the northern part of the country. This paper investigates the past and present situation of the Nigerian water bodies in terms of capacity, accessibility/usage, management and security. Natural and artificial factors responsible for these changes are being explored and possible solutions suggested for remedying the challenges for sustainable management of the available water resources.