A geography professor at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, has warned that neglecting rivers could pose a threat to human survival.
Delivering the university’s 25th Inaugural Lecture, Prof Sheikh Danjuma Abubakar cautioned that unsustainable exploitation of rivers would fuel disasters such as flooding, displacement, waterborne diseases, and socio-economic disruptions.
His lecture, “Social Relations of Rivers and Smart Sustainable River Management: A Serendipitous Journey of a Fluvial Geomorphologist,” emphasised that less than three per cent of the Earth’s water is fresh and most of it is inaccessible, making effective river stewardship crucial.
He called for Nigeria to adopt the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers into Law, strengthen policy enforcement, and regulate harmful human activities. Abubakar cited past floods in Sokoto, Lokoja, Maiduguri, and Mokwa as stark reminders of the cost of poor management.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman urged researchers to align their work with the realities of climate change. Meanwhile, dignitaries at the event, including lawmakers and traditional leaders, pledged legislative and community support for sustainable river management.
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