Addressing “edge” problems in land and water management in the Sokoto-Rima river basin, Nigeria

Abstract

Integrated management was endorsed as a fundamental principle at the International Conference on Water and the Environment at Dublin in January 1992. Analysis in the Sokoto-Rima basin in northwestern Nigeria indicated that such an integrated approach is not being followed. A primary obstacle is institutional gridlock, with specific problems related to inadequate funding, ambiguous responsibilities, preoccupation with institutional structures, and lack of attention to operation and maintenance. To move toward an integrated approach, priority should be given to establishing legitimation or credibility for the concept of integration, creating a supportive organizational culture, and modifying management functions—all of which face formidable obstacles in Nigeria.