Stakeholders from government, development institutions, civil society, diplomatic corps, private sector and local communities on Wednesday gathered at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the official launch of the Lokoja Dialogues, an independent non-profit platform focused on strengthening Nigeria’s resilience by applying a Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus approach to community challenges.
Convened by Mrs Polly Alakija, the initiative introduces a new model of engagement that connects community realities to technical insight, national planning and investment opportunities. Mrs Alakija described Nigeria’s “water paradox”, noting that while the country has abundant water resources, access and management remain uneven. She said, “Nigeria’s water crisis is not about availability, it is about access. And certainly, we can say that our broken water cycles have become our poverty cycle. As recognised in the COP29 Water for Climate Action Declaration – the climate crisis is a water crisis.”
Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, represented by The Second Lady of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Hajiya Nana Shettima, highlighted the human impact at the centre of the initiative, stating that, “Families seek better access to clean water, food and energy. This initiative aligns with the renewed hope agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which seeks to enhance the quality of life for all Nigerians through unity, compassion and purposeful action.”
From an economic perspective, Mr Wale Edun, OFR, Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, described water security as essential to Nigeria’s reform trajectory. “The scale of Nigeria’s water challenge is national, but its impact is local and deeply personal. We have to work together – government, partners, and communities, to close the gap.”, he said.
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Engineer Joseph Terlumun Utsev, Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, reinforced the need for technical and community alignment. “Water is the life blood that sustains our ecosystem, empowers our economy and nourishes our people.”, he remarked.
As Amb. Yussuf Tuggar OON Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs reminded the audience,” that the history of Africa, of our continent, is inextricably tied to the history of water and water systems.”
*Insights from the Working Groups*
The inaugural working groups explored water and food security, the water and energy nexus and wetland conservation. More than 40 participants, including community representatives from Kebbi, Delta and Yobe, identified practical challenges and locally anchored solutions. Early insights include the need for reliable irrigation to reduce climate risk, affordable power for rural water systems, and urgent action to control invasive species and restore wetlands. These findings will guide the next phase of programme and policy development.
At the closing of the event, Mr Olu Adeosun, Trustee of Lokoja Dialogues, expressed the team’s deepest gratitude to His Excellency Alhaji Samaila Muhammad Mera, Emir of Argungu and Patron of Lokoja Dialogues. He also expressed gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs for hosting the event. He went on to urge partners to keep the momentum alive, noting that, “It is time for us to come together, to share our values, to fix the broken water cycle.” He emphasised that the next phase of the Dialogues will focus on turning community-sourced insights into fundable, scalable solutions.
