BY: JESSICA JOHN BAKARI
Professor Engineer Joseph Terlumun Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, has inaugurated the National Platform of Mandara Plateau Mosaic Transboundary Ecosystem in Nigeria with a call to ensure that every relevant voice is heard.
Professor Engineer Joseph Terlumun Utsev made the call while opening the National workshop for the implementation of the Integrated Management Platform for the Mandara Plateau Mosaic held at Elomaz Hotel, Abuja.
The workshop was organized by the Niger Basin Authority in collaboration with the Global Environmental Facility through UNDP.
Represented by the national focal person for the Niger Basin Authority in Nigeria, Engineer Ibrahim Magaji, Professor Joseph Terlumun said that the workshop has two primary objectives, which are the establishment of the Mandara Plateau Mosaic Transboundary Ecosystem platform in Nigeria.
He explained that the platform members will serve as the cornerstone for the management and preservation of the unique ecological assets of the Mandara Plateau.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation added that the Mandara Plateau Mosaic is not only a biodiversity hotspot but also an important resource for the local communities that depend on it.
He stressed that setting up the platform will ensure that there is a structured and coordinated approach to managing the invaluable ecosystem.
The Regional Director of the Niger Basin Lullemeden Taoudeni Transéboundry Aquifer System (NB_ITTAS) project, Mr. Allomasso, emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation and the need for inclusivity in managing the ecosystem.
Allomasso highlighted the objectives of the project and the aim of establishing the platform for the resources of the transboundary ecosystem.
He further said that the workshop provided key stakeholders in the Mandara Plateau Mosaic with a forum to discuss the problems of the ecosystem, noting that Cameroon has already established their platform, and it is now Nigeria’s turn to establish the national platform.
Furthermore, after finishing this, they will also establish a platform at the regional levels for the two countries.
Also in his remark, the Representative of the Executive Secretary of the Niger Basin Authority in Cameroon, Mr. Belibi Tsala, told the participants that the ongoing workshop comes after the regional workshop in Yaounde.
Mr. Belibi Tsala commended the national focal person for Nigeria and his team, stating that the management of natural resources, including water, is a poverty reduction strategy and an achievement of the sustainable development goals.
He stressed that the Niger Basin Authority brings together nine West and Central African States, namely Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Benin, Mali, Niger, and Cameroon, as a sub-regional organization involved in water development and management.
In his vote of thanks, the Chairman/President of the National Platform of Mandara Plateau Mosaic Transboundary Ecosystem Platform, Mr Michael Shehu, appreciated the Nigeria Basin Authority for the opportunity given to Nigeria, promising never to let them down.
Mr. Michael Shehu reiterated their commitment towards the realization of the Mandara Plateau Mosaic project for the benefit and development of people in Nigeria, particularly Adamawa State.
The highlight of the two-day workshop was various presentations on the process of setting up the national platform, presentation and adoption of designation criteria, and issuance of recommendations and a communiqué at the end of the two-day event.