NAN-AE-4
Water
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, March 21, 2017 (NAN) The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, on Tuesday urged all stakeholders to protect the country’s water resources so as to enhance the citizens’ access to potable water.
The minister made the call in Abuja at a news conference held in preparation for the 2017 World Water Day celebration on March 22.
Adamu said that the Federal Government was very committed to increasing the citizens’ access to potable water, adding that this was because water was a developmental issue, while its availability signified complete development.
He underscored the need for Nigerians to understand that water was a finite resource, saying that the protection of surface and underground sources of water was the surest way of making water available for the benefit of all Nigerians.
He blamed the challenges in the water sector on the failure of all stakeholders to obtain the National Water Resources Master Plan, saying that there was the need for practical stakeholders’ involvement in implementing the themes of the plan.
The minister said that the implementation of the National Water Resources Master Plan was vital in the country’s efforts to meet its desired goal of improved water supply, hydropower generation and food security.
Adamu expressed optimism that all state water agencies would strive harder to make potable water available for the people, saying that Federal Government’s role was to provide bulk or raw water through dams.
He said that it was the duty of state water agencies to channel such raw water to homes and other public places in their areas of jurisdiction.
“It is not the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide water for the citizens; our sole aim is to provide raw water.
“We do not run water boards; all we do is to make sure the enabling policies are in place.
“It is only when we see that some states have difficulties that we partner with them to make sure they do their best in providing potable water.’’
The minister said that water supply to Abuja and its environs, which usually came from the Lower Usuma Dam, could be sourced from the Gurara Dam during dry seasons.
He said that the Lower Usuma Dam was designed in such a way that the Gurara Dam could provide complementary support for it at specific periods in the year, feeding it with additional raw water.
He said that the ministry had already constructed a 75-km pipeline for water from the Lower Usuma Dam, adding that what remained was for the FCT Administration (FCTA) to take ownership of the project to reduce its maintenance costs.
Besides, Adamu expressed hope that with the recently launched Partnership for Extended Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme and increased budgetary allocations, Goal Six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which was on water, would be met before 2030.
He said that newly inaugurated “Water Use and Licence Regulation’’ would facilitate appropriate management of the nation’s water resources and address the challenges relating to indiscriminate drilling of boreholes across the country.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that March 22 is celebrated globally to draw attention to the need to increase the people’s access to water and the theme of the 2017 celebration is: “Why Waste Water?’’. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe