By Tosin Kolade
Nigeria and Hungary have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen academic and technical cooperation in water management, innovation, and climate resilience.
The agreement, signed between the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and Nigeria’s National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), Kaduna, was a key highlight of the Nigeria–Hungary Water Forum in Abuja on Tuesday.
The forum, attended by senior government officials, engineers, and researchers, aims to deepen collaboration in water management, technology development, and sustainable solutions to water-related challenges.
Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the agreement marked a major step in improving technical capacity, research collaboration, and innovation in water resources development.
He said the partnership would support advanced training for Nigerian engineers, promote joint research on water security and climate adaptation, and enhance expertise exchange in flood control and basin management.
Utsev said the renewed engagement builds on the earlier MoU signed in November 2016, which established a framework for knowledge sharing and cooperation in water management.
“This forum builds on that foundation and takes our collaboration to a practical, result-oriented level.
“We are deepening cooperation through joint projects and innovations,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria faces complex water challenges worsened by rapid population growth, urbanisation, and climate change, including flooding and limited access to safe water in rural communities.
Utsev said the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, has prioritised water security and sanitation as part of national development and poverty reduction strategies.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda places water at the heart of our national strategy.
“We are implementing policies to achieve universal access to safe water and stronger flood resilience”.