NAN-AE-2
Commercialisaton
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Jan. 17, 2017 (NAN) Mr Dennis Mwanza, Chief of Party, Sustainable Water and Sanitation in Africa (SUWASA) project, has called for the commercialisation of urban water supply services to improve access in the country.
Mwanza told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that commercialisation of such facilities would improve service delivery and encourage cost recovery towards better access to water.
The chief of party stressed the need for all stakeholders to address infrastructural challenges to sustain provision of potable water and its efficient delivery to the populace.
He said it was important for citizens to get adequate, clean, safe and affordable water and sanitation services, not minding where it came from.
Mwanza reaffirmed that capacity building for public water operators was a necessity for effective service delivery, adding that this should be encouraged by all.
He stated that in Nigeria, SUWASA had been implementing urban water sector reform initiatives aimed at promoting improved performance, commercial viability, autonomy of service providers and economic tariffs.
Mwanza said state water agencies were facing a lot of challenges in Nigeria which affected their service delivery, adding that they should have financial autonomy.
“State water board agencies should not be dependent on state financing. Nigeria deserves better urban service delivery of water,” he said.
While maintaining that the benefits of having access to water, sanitation and hygiene should be encouraged by all, Mwanza stated that this was what USAID was advocating for.
USAID’s SUWASA was launched in 2009 with the aim of transforming the delivery of urban water and sanitation services through the application of market-based principles for African water providers. (NAN)
TAK/ORO/AFA
Edited by Razak Owolabi/Felix Ajide