..Delivers 58th inaugural lecture
Sustainable environmental engineering techniques have been advocated by Professor Samson Olakunle Ojoawo of the Department of Civil Engineering at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso as a cure-all for improving the supply of drinkable water for Nigerians and people worldwide.
The idea that water is life was refuted by Ojoawo, a specialist in civil engineering with a focus on water resources and environmental engineering. He stated that “only potable water is life,” not simply any water.
The professor from Tede made this statement on Thursday during the 58th inaugural lecture of LAUTECH, “Water Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink,” which was held in the Great Hall of the university.
The event was attended by Professor Deji Omole, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of LAUTECH, and Professor Rasaq Olatunde ROM Kalilu, Vice Chancellor, members of the Council; other Principal Officers; Deans; members of the Senate, staff, students, among others.
Engr. Prof. Ojoawo, a fellow of many professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), explained that his recommendations stemmed from sustainable environmental engineering techniques, saying “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 in Nigeria by the year 2030 requires extraordinary efforts. According to WHO, only about 0.42% of Nigerian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been invested in the Water Resources infrastructure sector between 2006 and 2010.
“As of the year 2020, only N100 billion budget was allocated to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Meanwhile to adequately provide access to sustainable and safely managed water services under SDG 6, Nigeria must invest up to 2.7% of its current GDP or US$10 billion annually to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). This ambition is most essential for rural water supply and sanitation where the gap for improved services is about 70% in line with UNICEF report.”
He added that independent annual budgetary provision for water resources should be seriously looked into, adding that It is presently lumped up under Infrastructures (Works and Housing, Power, Transport, and Aviation sectors) all of which were for instance allocated 5% (N1.32 trillion) of the 2024 Federal Government of Nigeria’s budget.
“Since potable water is life, I therefore strongly call on the governments to separate and increase the budgetary allocation of Water Resources from the other infrastructures in line with the WHO and UNESCO’s recommended figures. There is a need to return to the general public water supply of the earlier years as a country through the waterworks of the Water Corporations of the states and federal governments. This is cheaper, environmentally safer and more convenient, ” Ojoawo said.
On the functioning public waterworks in the country, he advised Corporation’s members of staff to optimally utilize the available resources in terms of funds and personnel.
“The existing government waterworks should be revitalized while Private Partnership options of Build, Operate and Transfer should be equally explored to expand the treatment of surface water for the community use, especially in the urban areas. Each component of water supply system from source through treatment process storage and distribution must be ascertained functioning well from time to time without major risks or failures. Medical officers and or community physicians should be involved in water planning and be members of Water Boards to offer professional advice on human health health problems associated with water.
“In rural areas of developing countries where the use of wells may be inevitable, it is strongly recommended that all wells must be covered, possibly motorized via renewable energy sources, and sited upstream to sources of contaminants like septic tanks and graves at a distance not lesser than 70 feet away from the pollution points.
“Each household should endeavour to disinfect their wells at least once in a year. Also, personal hygiene within each household should be improved upon and always emphasized.
“Again there is the need for constant surveillance by public health officials to enforce water quality control measures and ensure that water delivered to consumers is at all times safe and potable. These officials should organize seminars and enlightenment campaign for the populace on how to protect their water from the source to the point of consumption.
“Proliferation of tube wells and boreholes should be discouraged but rather centralized industrial water supply should be embraced. Indiscriminate sinking of boreholes is capable of triggering tectonic shear failures which may lead to faults, earth tremours or quakes over time if uncontrolled. To abate the pollution problems in shallow well water that is the commonest source for most communities in developing countries, it is recommended that aside boiling, each household should endeavour to coagulate, filter, soften and disinfect well water through affordable water treatment kits before consumption.
“Provision of sanitary landfills is inevitable for effective solid waste management in developing communities; this will gradually replace the indiscriminate waste dumping and disposal at present. Liners are recommended to protect groundwater from leachate pollution of existing landfill, the compacted clay liners offer the longest containment breakthrough time of over 40 years among the studied ones. While the existing crude open dumping system is being closely monitored for improvement, sanitary landfills should be provided for our communities and random refuse dumping should be prohibited by newly enacted environmental laws being advocated for through this lecture.
“It is recommended that Environmental Protection Agencies at all levels should always analyze and contain the pollution impacts of the solid wastes on the environment, especially water. Locally within the compound, right from the source, wastes are recommended to be sorted into refuse and gabbage, while the decomposable is turned into composts/manures, the refuse is to be regularly burnt in an excavated shallow pit located downstream the groundwater source to the building.
“Integrated Solid Wastes Management Systems are recommended for larger communities for turning wastes to wealth through the application of automatic bio-fertilizer processing, waste recycling, waste-to-energy processing, separators, shredders, waste recovery and other plants in designated centres at city outskirts.
“As readily available low-cost agents, bioremediation of pollutants from industrial wastewater using bacteria such as Brevibacteria sp. and Bacillus Safensis LAU13 is recommended for large-scale application on heavy metals,” Ojoawo said.