Nigeria's Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo has reiterated Government's commitment to meeting MDG targets for water supply and sanitation in view of Nigeria's existing abundance of water resources, national policies for water supply, sanitation, strategic framework as well as guidelines for manpower development.
Namadi Sambo, represented by the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Darius Dickson Ishaku made this known at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Water Supply Association (NWSA)'s 3rd Annual Conference, General Meeting/Exhibition held on Thursday September 19, 2013 in Abuja with the theme: 'Water Sector Reform – Harnessing Global Knowledge for Local Action.'
The Vice President expressed the need for reform in the water sector; saying reforms may include wholesale and fundamental changes to the way water policies are designed and implemented and adjustments aimed at refining existing policy settings and instruments for improving its effectiveness.
According to him, the Federal Government is adopting several strategies towards improving the water and sanitation sector. The reforms, he said would develop more innovative strategies that would strengthen existing provisions towards sustainability of water supply and sanitation to all Nigerians.
In her keynote address at the occasion, the Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe represented by the Director of Water Supply in the Ministry, Bello Tinau said the theme of the conference – 'Water Sector Reform: Harnessing Global Knowledge for Local Action' is fitting to the current level of development in the water sector as well as the tenets of the Transformation Agenda of the present Government.
She noted that the objectives of the association concerned with efficiency of water supply for domestic, commercial and industrial use and coordinated action towards acquisition and improved availability of information on water supply and sanitation from ranges from technical, legal, administrative to economic and social points of view. She added that with such objectives, the association is bound to contribute to water sector development. She also charged that all hands should be on deck to keep the association strong and healthy.
Sarah Ochekpe acknowledged the continuous contributions from development partners towards water sector development; noting the Ministry's readiness to offer strong support to ensure that the association achieves its objectives.
Also speaking, the first President of the Association, Mustapha Bukar represented by the Head of Public – Private Partnership and Urban Water Sector Reform in the Ministry, Benson Ajisegiri asked for support to the Association to enable it effect needful change in the sector. He mentioned that areas like human resources development, operation and maintenance would transform service delivery and sustainability.
According to him, one of the best ways to effectively improve water supply delivery in Nigeria is to create a platform that would bring together the experiences of the private sectors as well as consumers to chart a way towards addressing the widening gap between demand, supply and the quality of service.
Source: FG reiterates commitment to MDGs targets for water supply and sanitation (http://fmi.gov.ng/latest/30345/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fg-reiterates-commitment-to-mdgs-targets-for-water-supply-and-sanitation)
Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria
The federal government has done very well with this one I must say.
Let them keep it up.
Water is very much important when it comes to a nation expecially huge ones like Nigeria.
We agree with this.