By Kennedy Sheyin
The Nigerian Navy has called on Nigerians to join the government, and other related institutions in the efforts made to preserve lakes in the nation
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Idi Abbas made the call on Thursday, at the World Lake Day celebration event organised by Naval Base, Abuja.
The event is themed “Revitalising Our Lakes: Advancing Ecosystem resilience and Shared Prosperity”.
Abbas, represented by Commodore Innocent Uduodoh, Director of Civil-Military Cooperation, Naval Headquarters, said that effective cleaning and maintenance of Nigerian lakes required participation of the Nigerian people who were the first contact with the water bodies.
“We must recognise that the stewardship of our lakes is not just a responsibility of the government or a particular group, but a collective duty that requires the active participation of all.
“We must move forward towards shared prosperity, overcome identified challenges and prioritise sustainable management practices,” he said.
Abbas noted that the lakes were a natural endowment with profound impact on water and food, security, power generation, and environmental sustainability which imposed a huge responsibility on all to sustain them.
“Nigeria is blessed with numerous lakes; Lake Chad, Kanji Lake, etc which have been a lifeline for millions of citizens through fishing and agriculture, livestock grazing, water supply, transportation, tourism, bio-diversification, among other things.
“These lakes face numerous challenges, including population, pollution, climate change, overfishing and illegal fishing, and poor management practice;
”And the consequences are dire from declining water levels, to loss of diversification, and the negative impact on the livelihood of communities that depend on these lakes,” he said
The CNS revealed that the Lake Chad had shrunk by approximately 90 per cent compared to 1963, adding that, that had adversely affected the well-being of about 13 million people in the region, while affecting employment, nutrition and sanitation.
He described the 2026 Lake Day celebration as a call to deliberate action to reduce pollution control from agricultural runoff, industrial waste and domestic sewage.
“We must work to address the impact of climate change on our lakes, research to better understand the dynamics of the lake and involve communities affected in the decision making processes to ensure inclusion.
Also speaking, the Commander, Naval Base Abuja, Commodore Oluseyi Oladipo, host of the event, said that aside the navy’s main purpose of highlighting the need to sustain lakes, the day marked a step forward in civil-military relations trust of the Nigerian navy.
According to Oladipo, the development aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu which mandates the strengthening of civilian assistance and outreach arm of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He said it also aimed to integrate the military into the rehabilitation of the Lake Chad Basin Ecosystem and other water bodies.
“We are inspired to use world lake day to emphasise the importance of lakes to ecosystems, economies, and communities, while fostering greater awareness of environmental issues.
“We also hope to encourage pragmatic policy actions aimed at protecting and restoring lakes from pollution, overuse, and climate change impacts towards shared prosperity of Nigerians,” he said..
He added that the commemorating the day further demonstrated the importance of using the platform of the Nigerian Navy to educate the public, students, youths, and policy makers about the ecological significance of lakes.
The Commodore said that the service had already engaged in a one week cleaning of the Lake Chad in commemoration of the World Lake Day.
(NAN)