FG urges States’ commitment to Urban Water Sector Reform Programme

ABUJA (Ministry of Water Resources Report)

The Nigerian Government has called on the Governors of the eight benefiting States of the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project to create necessary environments 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’ which held on Tuesday May 13, 2014 in Abuja.

Sarah Reng Ochekpe disclosed that the workshop which was organized by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in partnership with the World Bank and French Development Agency (AFD) was initiated in order to address water challenges such as weak performance, insufficient operational funding for proper management as well as institutional deficiencies, among others in some selected States.

While speaking at the event, Sarah 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 centers.

“The project commenced in 2004, when the World Bank committed the sum of $200 million to Kaduna, Ogun and Enugu to provide sustainable water supply to their urban areas and the programme was executed and completed in May, 2014. In November, 2005, the World Bank and AFD committed the sum of $320 million and $77.7 million respectively to Lagos and Cross River States. The project would be completed in May, 2016,” she explained.

According to her, Bauchi, Ekiti and River States have presently been scheduled to benefit from the World Bank and AFD in the sum of $ 250 million and $200 million respectively to increase the availability of water supply in their States.

The Minister also called on the participants of the workshop to rededicate their efforts toward achieving the desired goals of the project.

She said: “let me say that 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 action plans that will evolve from this workshop, towards achieving our collective vision to provide sustainable water to our citizenry.”

In her remarks at the occasion, the World Bank Country Director, Marie Francoise-Nelly commended the Minister and the benefitting States for their political will to support the projects. She commented that 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 African Development Bank (ADB) Country Director, Barbara Barungi disclosed that ADB has been working on water and sanitation in Nigeria since 1986. She added that ADB had invested $760 million in the ‘Water and Sanitation Project’ in Nigeria; saying the current investment in the sector include – the new water supply and sanitation project in Yobe and Osun state, the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Equipment in Oyo and Taraba States as well as the Zaria Water Supply and Sanitation Project.

In his remarks, the Country Director of the French Development Agency (AFD), Dognin Hubert said that his Agency had made commitments towards funding the Urban Water Sector Reform in Cross River and Lagos States. He further stressed that the AFD would provide additional finance to support the project in three more states.

In another development, the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) has indicated interest to support the programme.