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The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, Otunba Engr. Olufemi Odumosu FNIWE, FNAHS, has stated that all stakeholders in the water sector must be united to ensure peaceful co-existence between communities and other water users through provision of water in Nigeria.

Otunba Odumosu made this call in his address at the 2024 World Water Day celebration in Ogun State with the theme: 'Leveraging Water for Peace" which was held on 22nd March 2024 by the Authority in Abeokuta in conjunction with Ogun State Ministry of Environment and Nestle Plc and also said "there's growing pressure on our water resources system which is due to growing population and social economic development"

This he said has caused water shortages and deteriorating water quality that has resulted to rising demand and shifting supplies which could engender water conflicts among countries or communities attempting to ensure their share, he also pointed  out climate change as another factor affecting the situation, amid erratic rainfall, severe drought and other extreme weather events, competition for a diminishing water supply is ramping up and leading to more water related conflicts.

The Managing Director/CEO called for synergy among all stakeholders in order to achieve the aim of Goal 6 of ensuring clean water for all by year 2030. According to him, doing this would enhance food security, promote healthy livelihood, lifestyle and ecosystem, helping to build resilience to climate change, contributing to disaster risk reduction, providing renewable energy, supporting cities and industries and fostering regional integration and peace.

Odumosu said the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority has continue to make its impact felt in achieving this goal though construction and rehabilitation of water supply schemes, construction and renovation of toilet facilities and construction of hand pump, motorized and solar power boreholes in its catchment areas of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun States.

According to him the Authority has its boreholes at 743 (Seven Hundred and Forty-three) locations in six states across Nigeria and lastly, he assured that the Authority will continue to strife in its efforts to ensure that the goal six is achieved by the year 2030.

In his address at the occasion, the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Ogun State, Mr Ola Oresanya said that there is an urgent need to unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource (water) as it can create or spark crisis when it is polluted, scarce or when people have unequal or no access to it.

He noted also that a borehole Drilling Guide Document to regulate drilling in the state will soon be introduced while frowning at the ways in which companies are discharging wastewater without recourse to use of a functional Effluent Treatment Plant.

The guest speaker at the occasion and also the National Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE), Engr. Dr. Adeyinka Adebowale,FNIWE, reiterated that water is at the heart of adaptation to climatic change and the lack of which has often generated crisis between two or more villages.

He said that water is 'right issue" including human access to have water. He said that if man is denied of such right anything and everything possible will be done to get it back including war.

Dr. Adeyinka, advised that the residents in the upstream and downstream areas must synergize on the use of the water as none of the users has sole right to the water that flows through their terrain and that all must come together to surge a way for our water resources development which can be a catalyst for sustainable development.

In his goodwill message, the Executive Director, (Planning and Design), Ogun-Oshun RBDA, Engr. Azeez Adeoye, FNSE, FNIWE, prays for more collaboration in water development programs since the greatest challenges of our time often start with water. He said the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified over 2.2 billion people living without access to save water globally.

Earlier, the Head of Service, Ogun State, Mr Peter Fagbohun, represented by Mr. Oladapo Ogunfowora in his address maintained that 'Water Day" is for every day as water is the most critical component of existence that man cannot do without while its inequality in distribution creates crisis.

The program also featured panel discussion with representatives from corporate bodies, university and other stakeholders in attendance.