World Bank boosts water delivery services for urban poor in Nigeria

The World Bank has approved a credit of $250 million from the International Development Association to help the Nigerian Government continue its efforts to increase access to water supply services and to improve the financial and management viability of existing water utilities.
The funds will target the poor, urban population living in the state capitals and their surroundings, and will benefit some two million people.
Today’s credit supports the Third National Urban Water Sector Reform Project and responds to the Government of Nigeria’s goal of developing more effective mechanisms for social service delivery, particularly water service, as a means to address inequities in income and opportunities.
The funds will help rehabilitate and build the water delivery infrastructure and institutional systems needed to expand access to water supply services for people in selected cities in Bauchi, Ekiti, and Rivers States.
A portion of the project is performance based and will include incentives for improving the performance of the water supply institutions in the three states.
“Today’s project builds on past experience which has shown that building water infrastructure without strengthening the capacity of the institutions responsible for managing water supply to the targeted areas does not lead to sustainable results,” said Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria.
Marie-Nelly added: “We therefore hope that the new strategy which puts more emphasis on this integrated approach will contribute to l improve the health and economic well-being of the country’s poorest and more vulnerable particularly women and girls who spend a lot of time fetching water.”
A second project component will provide technical and financial assistance to State Governments and water utilities in Kano, Gombe, Benue, Jigawa, Ondo, Abia, Bayelsa, Anambra, and Plateau States to help prepare them for large water supply investments that could be financed in the future.
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources, tasked with providing sustainable access to safe and sufficient water to all Nigerians, will also benefit from strengthened capacity to monitor and benchmark the water sector’s performance and accordingly, increased accountability from the states for their performance.
“Women and children in Nigeria spend hours each day carrying water for their family’s use,” said Miguel Vargas-Ramiìrez, the World Bank Task Team Leader for this Project.
“By improving water service delivery, this project will help open up time for the poor to pursue education and income-generating activities, and provide them with a better chance to boost themselves out of poverty,” Vargas-Ramiirez said.
“The many activities funded by today’s project will also contribute to improving Nigeria’s progress towards meeting its Millennium Development Goal with respect to access to improved water supply service,” said Hassan Madu Kida, the World Bank Task Team Leader for this Project.