Eniola Onatayo lake degradation warning highlights urgent need for satellite-based water monitoring to protect Nigeria’s key lakes and communities

Eniola Onatayo lake degradation warning is sparking fresh calls for environmental action as the Nigerian-born geospatial researcher urges the Federal Government to adopt satellite-based water quality monitoring to protect Nigeria’s vital lakes from worsening environmental threats.

Also read: NAF unveils life-changing water, power projects in Ogun

Onatayo, who is based at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, warned that millions of Nigerians depending on lakes for drinking water, fishing, and agriculture face escalating health and economic risks without real-time surveillance systems.

“Nigeria has demonstrated that it can effectively use satellite technology for environmental monitoring,” she stated.

“Now we need to build on that success by developing specialised water quality algorithms for our critical lakes like Chad, Kainji, Jebba and Oguta.”

The environmental scientist pointed out that despite Nigeria’s existing use of satellites to monitor land use and natural disasters, water quality remains largely untracked — a gap that is proving dangerous in a country where over 66 million people lack access to safe drinking water.

Her research in the Finger Lakes region of New York used machine learning to detect harmful algal blooms and monitor water clarity from space — techniques she says have been successfully tested on Nigerian lakes.

“Lake Kainji showed seasonal algal blooms linked to upstream agricultural practices,” Onatayo revealed.

“These trends were entirely missed by traditional monitoring methods.”

Nigeria’s inland fisheries are valued at over N84 billion annually, and regions like the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands support over a million rural livelihoods.

Onatayo emphasized that early detection of water issues via satellite could prevent fish kills, safeguard food supplies, and boost long-term economic resilience.

“Satellite monitoring systems pay for themselves within two years through avoided losses and improved resource management,” she argued.

She also highlighted urgent threats: