The Federal Government has called on the governors of the eight benefiting states of the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project to create the necessary environment and give strong support towards effective implementation of the reform programme in their respective states.
The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Reng Ochekpe, made this known at a workshop on Strengthening the Implementation of Urban Water Sector Reform Project on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Workshop was organized by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in partnership with World Bank and French Development Agency.
The Urban Water Sector Reform Project was initiated to address water challenges such as weak performance, insufficient funding for operation and management as well as institutional deficiencies among others in some selected states.
Speaking at the event, Ochekpe reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to the implementation of the water sector reform programme and achievement of its objective of sustainable water supply service delivery in the urban centres.
The project commenced in 2004 when the World Bank committed $200 million to Kaduna, Ogun and Enugu States to provide sustainable water supply to their urban areas.
The programme had been executed and completed in May, 2014.
In November, 2005, the World Bank and AFD committed $320 million and $77.7 million respectively to Lagos and Cross River States.
The project would be completed in May, 2016.
Presently, Bauchi, Ekiti and River States were scheduled to benefit from the World Bank and AFD $250 million and $200 million to increase availability of water supply in their states.
In her address at the workshop, the Minister also called on the participants of the workshop to rededicate their efforts toward achieving the desired goal of the project.
She said: “Let me say the ball is in your court. Since no angel would come down from heaven to implement the reforms you are the angels we can see. You must therefore rededicate yourselves towards faithful implementation of the plans of actions that will evolve from this workshop towards achieving our collective vision of providing sustainable water service delivery to our citizenry.”
In her remarks, the World Bank Country Director, Marie Francoise-Nelly, commended the Minister and the benefitting states for their political will to support the projects.
Francoise-Nelly said the World Bank had been supporting Nigeria for almost two decades and pledged to continue to support the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project in Nigeria.
Also in her goodwill message, the Africa Development Bank Country Director, Barbara Barungi, disclosed that the ADB has been working on Water and Sanitation in Nigeria since 1986.
Burubgi said ADB had invested $760 million in Water and Sanitation Project in Nigeria. “The current investment in the sector include the new water supply and sanitation project in Yobe and Osun States, Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Equipment in Oyo and Taraba States as well as Zaria Water Supply and Sanitation Project,” she explained
Also while speaking at the event, the Country Director of the French Development Agency, Dognin Hubert, said his Agency had made commitment to fund Urban Water Sector Reform in Cross River and Lagos States, adding that AFD would provide additional finance to support the project in three more states.
Japanese International Corporation Agency has also indicated interest to support the programme.
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