Association Plans Confab On Public Water Utilities

The Nigerian Water Supply Association is set to host its first International Practitioners conference to promote efficiency of public water utilities in the country.
The Chairman, Conference Sub-Technical Committee, Mr Timeyin Uwejamomere, told newsmen in Abuja that the conference will hold from July 2nd to 5th, adding that it was an opportunity to see how these water utilities would meet the demands of the 21st century.
Uwejamomere said the theme of the Conference is: “Transforming Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Facilities into Financially Viable Entities.
He said that the theme became necessary, following years of loss of revenue in the sector.
According to him, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will be the Guest of Honour to declare the event open, while the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, will open the plenary session.
“Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, will speak on Transforming Water Supply, while his Bauchi Counterpart, Governor Mohammed Abubakar, will speak on Sanitation.
“The association is a professional body formed to provide platform for coordinating and supporting improved water supply and sanitation services in the country.
According to report from the International Bench Marking Network by the World Bank on Water Agencies, which shows that nearly all states were under-performing when compared to similar agencies around the world.
The Minister of Water Resources, Adamu had observed that there was a ‘Cycle of stagnation’ in the public water utilities.
He said these services are generally poor which make the customers to be dissatisfied and thus unwilling to pay their water bills.
“This results in low revenue base of the agencies and weak finances to carry out operation and maintenance, this lack of maintenance of the water assets makes them to deteriorate thus leading to poor services.
“At the foundation of the stagnation cycle is: lack of enabling environment and adequate financial investment, weak institutions and inadequate staff capacities of the agencies.
“Thus, the required autonomy and means of accountability for performances are totally absent, we cannot continue to go this way, these trend must be reversed and the time to do it is now,” he said.