Minister urges state governments to invest more in water supply infrastructure

Mr Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Water Resources, on Thursday in Akure, urged state governments to invest more in water supply infrastructure to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) objective.

Adamu made the call in a keynote address at the 24th meeting of the National Council of Water Resource with the theme: “Revitalizing Urban Water Supply and Sanitation in Nigeria.’’

According to the minister, efforts of the Federal Government and the successes achieved in the water sector will be meaningless if the ordinary Nigerian is not guaranteed a 24 hour supply of potable water through an efficient source.

He frowned at a situation whereby a single urban community cannot boast of uninterrupted supply of pipe borne water, saying “this is not acceptable in the 21st century”.

“State governments must reflect seriously on this dismal situation and begin to invest more in water supply infrastructure and operations.

“We cannot pretend all is well when credible data suggest that we have fared terribly and that coverage is declining at an exponential rate.

“They must not continue to apply quick fixes or short term solutions aimed at achieving immediate electoral benefits,” the minister said.

He also advised that the penchant for proliferating unsuitable borehole schemes in urban settings must give way to proper municipal water supply systems, except where the raw water resources are unavailable.

According to him, the states should make efforts to finance proper studies and master-plans and follow up with an effective implementation plan accompanied by making capital investment in the medium to long term.

The minister urged the council to look into the situation with a view to reversing it immediately.

“We intend to share available data with all the states and it is my hope that your stand on access to water and sanitation shall serve as a wake-up call and ginger everybody to accelerate and concentrate action to address the situation,” Adamu said.

Earlier, Gov. Oluwarotimi Akerledolu of Ondo State, who expressed resolve to improve life of the people, described provision of of potable water as one of the priorities of his administration.

“Lack of access to potable water is the cry of the people and this makes them to resort to individual or private sources, some of which are not hygienic to human system.

“I am made to understand that the Federal Government is saddled with construction of dams and making raw water available. This is a good policy which I want to plead to be fully extended to Ondo State,” he said.

Akeredolu explained that most of the major urban water supply schemes in the state were old and inadequate in their capacities to meet “our ever increasing population and water demand”.

According to him, some of the dams have virtually collapsed while others are in terrible state of disrepair.

Representative of the European Union (EU), Jens Hoegel, said the union would continue to play a very active role as one of the biggest donors in the water sector since 200.

Hoegel, who is the Head of Section, Health Nutrition and Resilience, said EU was committed to addressing water problems in Nigeria to attain the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.

He noted that N17.63 billion was budgeted between 2001 and 2011 for Small Towns Water Supply .and Sanitation Programme (STWSSP) and Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme (WSSSRP ) for nine states while 176 million euros was budgeted for 14 states across the country between 2012 and 2018.