(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Akolori-Irrigation-project-300x224.jpg) The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Serah Jeng Ochekpe has said that Nigeria has witnessed improvement in water supply and sanitation over the last two years of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
She made this known at the ongoing 2013 Ministerial Platform organized by the Federal Ministry of Information, where Ministers made presentations on their activities and achievements in the past two years. She said, before this Administration, access to potable water was 58% and this has been increased to 65% coverage while sanitation has upped from 32% to 41% based on recent national assessment.
The Minister said, within the period under review, the Ministry has substantially completed a good number of water projects amongst which were Northern Ishan Water Supply projects in Edo State; Mangu Water Treatment Plant in Plateau State; Greater Makurdi Water Supply Scheme in collaboration with Benue State as well as rehabilitation of a thousand dysfunctional hand pumps in eighteen States.
Mrs. Ochekpe further told the audience at the briefing that there has been construction of water supply schemes in some Federal Institutions, namely, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu; and Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi , Benue State.
The Minister also dropped the hint that 545 hand pumps and 885 motorised/solar powered boreholes have been repaired and completed across the country, while the World Bank has assisted in Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation in Niger, Katsina and Ekiti States. She also listed the EU-assisted water supply and sanitation sector reform programme in Adamawa, Delta, Ekiti, Anambra, Cross River, Jigawa, Kano, Osun and Yobe States.
Mrs. Ochekpe also mentioned that international development partners such as JICA also assisted in Rural Water Supply Programme in Oyo, Kano, Yobe, Bauchi, Kebbi, Niger, Enugu, Taraba and Ondo States; Chinese assisted in Rural Water Supply Programme in 18 States and FCT while World Bank/African Development Bank assisted Urban Sector Reform Water projects were carried out in Kaduna, Ogun, Enugu, Cross River, Taraba, Lagos and Osun States.
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Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria