Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, says the proposed Inter-Basin Water Transfer from Congo River into the Lake Chad is possible but expensive, and will require more consultations.

Adamu said this at a Media Forum themed: “Engage, Educate and Empower Nigerians on the Legacy Project of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources” in Abuja.

No fewer than 40 million people depend on the natural resources of Lake Chad.

He hinted that Nigeria was currently working to improve the hydraulicity of River Chari and Logone through dredging and improvement of the river banks.

He noted that this was crucial as environmental challenges like silting, new flood plains due to climate change, were affecting the lake.

“The inter-basin water transfer is supposed to traverse many countries, we are taking water from the Congo Basin and transferring it to another 400 km into Chad, it is technically feasible.

“But it is very expensive. It requires a lot of study and we are going to be using the existing rivers, so it requires a lot of planning. But what we are doing is to start with the low hanging fruit.

“So what we want to do is to improve the hydraulacity of river chari and river Logone, the two rivers are the ones that bring water into Lake Chad.

“In addition to the climate change issue, even when you have good rain, the water just flows into the banks and creates new floodplains rather than flow directly into the lake.

“So it’s a lot of technical issues to deal with before you finally talk about the money, And the money of course, it’s a lot of billions of dollars.

“One of the good things is that it has been taken as a PanAfrican project, but even at African Union, they are now talking about it seriously.’’

Speaking on the ministry’s dam projects, the minister said the River Basin Development Authorities were being revitalised to deliver on their mandates.

He noted that the Songhai model, as an integrated agricultural practice was introduced to boost agricultural production and achieve integrated rural development.

He said since his tenure, 253 farmlands have been leased to the private sector for commercial farming while 42 small dams have been constructed across the nation.

In 2017, the federal government successfully conducted a feasibility study towards recharging the Lake Chad through an inter-basin water transfer from the Congo basin at an estimated cost of $15 billion.

This is a part of the projects envisioned to transform the region into a more stable economic hub as the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram in the North-east draw to a close.

Floods have destroyed many property and rendered scores of residents homeless in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Nigeria’s north-central.

Flood has over the last decade become a yearly routine, destroying property worth millions of Naira and causing losses of lives in some cases.

The areas are among the worst hit in the 2017 floods that displaced more than 120,000 persons in Makurdi.

At Agber Village, Mr James Igbawua said that the situation was beyond the community’s control, adding that they reported the matter to all relevant authorities over the years but no positive repsonse.

Igbawua said that, as a community, they could not do much as the situation required hundreds of millions to be addressed.

At Judge’s Quarters Extension, the situation was the same as waters overflowed a drainage system constructed on Ashavir Street, thereby rendering the residents with no access roads.

The disaster has also rendered many around the area homeless as the floods have taken over their homes temporarily.

In 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated a 3.35-kilometre drainage channel to address ecological challenges facing Idye Community in Makurdi.

The channel has significantly reduced the effect of the floods around the axis but since the second and third phases of the project were yet to be constructed, there was no free flow of water, thereby causing more damage to areas like Agber, Achussah and Nyiman.

Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Dr Godwin Oyiwona had earlier disclosed that Idye Basin was the major cause of flood in Makurdi metropolis.

Oyiwona said that an undisclosed amount had been approved by the government for the cleaning of the Idye Basin that controlled most of the water flow within the town to River Benue.

He further disclosed that other areas that were not connected to the Basin were being treated separately to ensure that there was no longer flood in 2022.

He said government was doing everything possible to educate those residing along areas prone to flood, to reduce its impact on them.

He said flood, which became a yearly problem of the state, had over the years destroyed property worth billions of Naira and lives, adding that huge amount of money was needed to address it permanently.

Lagos State Government has expressed commitment to building the foundation of a circular economy in the state as well as advocating for environmental sustainability.

Mr Tunji Bello, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, stated this in Lagos while delivering a keynote address at the official unveiling of the “Eko Clean Air” project at Itedo community.

Represented by Dr Tajudeen Gaji, Permanent Secretary, Environmental Services, Bello said that he was excited to bring the advocacy on circularity and environmental sustainability to Itedo community in Lekki.

He said that the advocacy was a very clear and important sentiment expressed across multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goals, under the states localised initiative, with the theme “Eko for Clean Air”.

While citing the UN Environment Programme, Bello said that environmental sustainability through a circular economy involved making life choices that ensured an equal, if not better way of life for future generations.

While citing the World Bank and World Health Organisation, Bello noted that air pollution was considered a major environmental and health threat with an increasing economic burden.

According to him, the worst impacts of air pollution are felt in our informal and small-scale industries as well as our most vulnerable populations.

The commissioner said that the state, in its bid to combat environmental pollution and encourage sustainable development, has charged LASEPA with the responsibility of setting and enforcing environmental standards.

He added that LASEPA was also vested with the responsibility of adopting a proactive approach to environmental protection, promoting a circular economy, and ensuring that all state’s environmental resources are consumed in a sustainable manner.

He said that ensuring a seamless interface with communities and adopting a truly granular approach by adapting global best standards on circularity and sustainability to the unique Lagos ecosystem is a key expected outcome.

The energy bills crisis has prompted a big rise in demand for solar panels.

Just over 3,000 solar installations are being carried out every week, according to trade association Solar Energy UK, up from 1,000 a week in July 2020.

One provider said this month it had seen enquiries about solar panels rise tenfold.

“More solar panels are being put on British roofs than ever before,” said Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK.

The fact that renewable energy helps protect the planet has always made it an attractive option.

The way they work is simple: the panels absorb sunlight through photovoltaic cells which convert it into electricity that can be flowed through your home, or into a battery.

The process significantly reduces the amount of electricity you will need from the network.

People who have successfully installed solar panels report saving hundreds of pounds on electricity bills.

But they are not the answer for everyone, as installing them means an upfront investment of thousands of pounds and you’ll need the right type of property.

Soaring energy prices, however, have slashed the time taken to recoup your initial costs.

A decade ago a typical solar panel system cost around £20,000 and would take around a decade to cover those set-up costs.

But prices for solar panel systems have fallen by more than 60% since then, meaning it takes between four and five years for a system to pay for itself.

The price includes installation and the number of panels will depend on how much space you have on a roof. A typical 20sq m roof could hold 12 panels.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests a standard solar panel system costs between £9,000 to £11,700, while Solar Energy UK lists the cost of a “typical” 3.1kWp system for a three-bed house as £3,925.

What you’ll end up paying will depend on the size of the system, the type of panel you choose, the quality of components, the accessibility and state of repair of your roof, and the individual installer, says Which?

Many houses in the UK are just not designed to cope with a warming climate but homeowners are adapting
Not everyone will own a home that can benefit from solar energy, especially if you own a north-facing property, or your home is largely shaded.

“Solar panels are perfect for residential properties with a south, east or west-facing roof, preferably without any shading,” says Mandip Bhamra, head of renewables at SaveMoneyCutCarbon.

“Depending on how old your house is, you may want to check your roof is structurally sound before fitting the solar panels onto it,” says Brian Davenport, owner of The Solar Centre .

He says most installers will have access to a structural engineer for calculating the wind-load should a roof show any signs of distress.

“There should also be a small amount of room made available in your loft for the inverter, which is roughly the size of a microwave,” he adds.

If you live in a flat you’d need to discuss the issue of installing solar panels with other residents and the freeholder.

“For a block of flats, most roofing should be fine, and with some flats where there is excess land, these can be placed in the ground too,” says Mandip Bhamra.

How much could solar power help reduce your bills?
The amount of electricity solar panels generate depends on the type and size of system and home.

A report for Solar Energy UK suggests that a typical home could cut electricity bills by more than £300 a year. Households with electric heating could be more than £900 a year better off, the report said, although most UK households remain on gas central heating.

If energy bills rise as predicted this winter, then the value of electricity generated through solar panels could almost double, says Kevin Holland, managing director of The Solar Shed, a Norfolk-based renewable energy business.

He says a typical solar panel system could generate £1,200 worth of electricity in a year at current prices.

If energy bills rise by 80% in October plus a further 50% in January, as forecast, then the value of electricity generated by a typical system could climb to around £3,240.

Also, if you don’t actually use all the electricity you generate, you can sell that surplus to an energy firm.

Fitting solar panels is a wise move, says Colin Froude
Colin Froude installed solar panels on his detached home in Salisbury, Wiltshire 11 years ago.

“I’ve never regretted it. It paid for itself in about seven or eight years and now my energy bills are just £67 a month, a saving of up to £80 a month,” says Colin, who used to be in the Royal Air Force but is now retired.

“Paying that by standing order means I’ve actually built up a £330 credit in recent months so even when bills climb in October I won’t increase my standing order as that credit should see me through into the New Year.”

He spent £18,000 on installing 19 solar panels on his home in 2011 and says that has since generated £21,000 worth of electricity, around 400kw.

He spent another £12,000 installing a battery, new transformer and optimisers fitted to each panel a year ago but says that has improved efficiency enormously.

“I did it to future-proof the house as protection against power cuts but it’s rapidly paying for itself.”

He cooks with electricity and says the solar panels generate all the hot water the household needs, so in the summer months when the heating is off, he pays nothing for gas.

“Given the rising cost of energy I would recommend solar panels to anyone,” he says.

It’s a big investment so there are several things to consider.

“Well-chosen solar panel systems can provide a reliable source of renewable electricity for decades, helping to cut your carbon footprint, but buying an inappropriate system could leave you out of pocket,” says Which?

In other words it’s important to do thorough research and get a variety of quotes.

It is also worth considering that however much you splash out, it may not add an equal value to your home.

Ageing, unattractive old solar panels could well put some potential buyers off.

“As long as you can’t see them, solar panels are a great idea,” says Charlie Wells, managing director of estate agency Prime Purchase.

“Estate agents are unlikely to offer a higher valuation if a property already has solar panels installed,” says Brian Davenport.

But some buyers will be attracted by renewable energy and the chance to save cash on energy bills, says Kevin Holland.

“If there are two houses in the street for sale, one has no solar and a £4,000 energy bill, the other has solar and a £1,500 energy bill, which one are you buying?” he says.