FG Recommits To Completion Of Water Projects

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu has  reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to complete all abandoned water projects across the country.
Adamu told newsmen in Abuja that the ministry was carrying out crucial projects in irrigation, water supply and hydropower generation, adding that the revitalisation of the dams is presently ongoing.
The minister also assured that the Water Resources Roadmap from 2016-2030 would be actualised with strengthened collaboration.
He said that the collaboration was to promote policy implementation for sustainable access to safe and sufficient water to meet the social, cultural, environmental and economic development needs of all Nigerians.
Adamu said there was the need to reverse the trend and address the challenges to water supply, saying 52.7 million Nigerians still lack access to potable water.
He opined that it was saddening that states relied on the Federal Government to reticulate water from completed dams for all purposes, adding that this cannot be achievable.
According to him, the states ought to be alive to their responsibilities by making sure that they run water schemes to make water reach households.
“We have built quite a number of dams at the Federal Government level and it is for the states to now tap from these dams and provide water for their communities, but they have not done so.
“The Federal Government does not own the water boards we are not supposed to run water schemes, so the states have to be alive to their responsibilities.”
Citing examples of the dam and water treatment plant in Ondo, Adamu said for seven years, the facility had not been used and refurbishing it for use would cost a lot of money to the ministry.
“If we are going to put the plant to use today, it is going to cost a lot of money to even commission it because rats have eaten the cables, maybe there are some vandalism.
“Some of the equipment are supposed to be kept under a certain temperature through the water circulation, it has not been there.
“They ought to do the transmission lines, storage reservoirs and distribution pipelines within the towns and they have not done it. What can the Federal Government do?”
On encouraging dry season farming, the minister said Nigeria had a 15-year irrigation development programme with 3.14 million hectares of irrigable land.
According to Adamu, with the irrigation scheme, crops can be  cultivated all year round.
He said only 10 per cent of the land was being utilised and developed by the Federal Government.
Adamu stressed that there was an urgent need to diversify the economy from oil dependent to agriculture-based economy.
He added that it was observed that policy reversals and poor management of river basins by previous administrations led to food insufficiency.
The minister, however, expressed the hope that with the blueprint and action plan to reposition the basins, food security would be achieved.