Water Sector experts, professionals meet at NWRI, Kaduna …web Portal Pan African Water Training Platform coming.

In order to address the dwindling manpower and professionals in the water and related sectors in Africa, experts and professionals are to meet in Kaduna, Nigeria this Thursday, to deliberate on how to find solution to one of the pressing challenges bedevilling the sector on the continent.

The meeting might eventuate in the launching of a Web Portal Pan African Water Training Platform.

The meeting, which is being held under the auspices of the Africa Water Resources Capacity Building Programme (AWaCaB), will attract experts and professionals from ten African countries with two representing each of the five African sub-regions.

The countries are; Nigeria and Ghana representing West Africa, Sudan and Libya for North Africa while Namibia and Angola will represent Southern Africa. Others are, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad will represent Central Africa while Kenya and Tanzania will represent East Africa.

In a statement from the Office of the Executive Director of the National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna, Dr. Olusanjo Bamgboye and signed by the Information officer of the Institute, Mallam Razaq Amuda, said the objective of this meeting will be how to enhance the capacity of water professionals and water training institutions to address the water challenges in Africa while taking cognizance of the following:

– Assess the current and future needs in term of the number of water professionals and training priority areas in ten African countries (two in each five sub-regions) for the achievement of the Africa water vision 2025 in participating countries; targeting at least 20-30% of women

– Map and analysis available water related courses in the different regional training centres, centres of excellence and category II centres and national water related training institutions in 10 African countries including science and engineering universities and research institutions to inform training and curriculum development;

– Develop or adapt water related courses in response to priority needs;

– Develop a comprehensive Africa water resources capacity building programme in training and research responsive to national and regional water professional needs;

– Mobilize other UNESCO water centres to contribute to the implementation of the capacity building programmes;

– Put in place a Web Portal Pan African Water Training Platform providing all the available water related training institutions and related courses.

According to a document obtained from UNESCO-IHP, the need to increase the number of water professionals to address the water challenges facing Africa was identified as back as 1990 during the Pan- African hydrological assessment conducted in all Sub-Saharan African countries and also in various African water forums, and within Africa water reference document including the Africa water vision 2025.

Further to the document, a rapid assessment by UNESCO-IHE estimated that Africa would require a 300% increase in water professionals to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

The document however, noted that there has been downward trend in the number of water professionals in African countries since 1990 due to reduction in national budget, attrition and lack of job opportunities in this area of expertise.

While painting a picture of what this portends for the African continent, the document says that if this trend is not reversed, it will have negative effect impact on the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of all water development projects for poverty alleviation, economic growth and sustainability in many African countries.