In his pursuit to ensure Nigerians have access to clean water and to enhance food security through irrigation farming, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has been actively touring various states to inspect ongoing water projects and engage with the contractors responsible, reports Senior Correspondent.
Appointed by President Bola Tinubu as part of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Prof. Utsev, a professor of Civil and Water Engineering, has been dedicated to developing both surface and groundwater resources for socio-economic advancement.
Prof. Utsev, along with his Minister of State, Barr. Bello Goronyo, informed the ministry’s management, staff, and managing directors of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities about their mission to make water accessible and enhance food security through irrigation. The minister directed these authorities to allocate 500,000 hectares of land for dry season farming.
Recently, Utsev embarked on a nationwide tour to ensure these directives are being followed, and to evaluate the progress and commitment towards achieving food security and providing safe water. During his tour, he inspected ongoing water projects, interacted with contractors, and emphasized the importance of quality work and timely project completion. He warned against sabotage and substandard work, instructing contractors who had abandoned projects to resume immediately or face contract termination and reassignment.
Several previously abandoned water schemes and dam projects have been completed and are being commissioned, while others are in various stages of completion. During his visits to Kano and Jigawa states, Utsev commissioned a water project by the Hadejia-Jama-are River Basin Development Authority to alleviate water scarcity in Birnin-Kudu communities in Jigawa State. He also inaugurated a 200,000-litre corrugated steel water tank and a solar-powered borehole to supply water to 700 households in Dutsen Dodo Birnin-Kudu, and a 135kw solar panel system at Birnin-Kudu water works to replace diesel generators.
At the Hadejia-Jama-are River Basin Development Authority headquarters in Kano, Utsev commissioned a water bottling factory intended to provide affordable potable water to Kano citizens, aligned with the federal government’s partial commercialization strategy. This factory also created jobs for youths and has an expected annual turnover of over N300 million. The community expressed their gratitude for the long-awaited access to clean and safe water.
Additionally, Utsev inspected the facilities of Panar Limited, a manufacturer of HDPE, PPR, and UPVC pipes and fittings, emphasizing the federal government’s intolerance towards substandard water materials and underscoring the importance of quality in local content production.
Utsev called on citizens to support the Tinubu administration, which has shown a strong commitment to addressing water challenges within its first year. He also urged state governors to collaborate with the federal government in investing in water infrastructure and promoting irrigation farming to bolster national food security.
Echoing the minister’s sentiments, Terhemen Oraduen, the minister’s Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, revealed that Utsev had also visited Kogi, Benue, and Niger States to commission dam projects in Kabba Bunnu, Lessel in Ushongo, and the Rafin Yashin multipurpose dam in Minna, aimed at providing water and promoting irrigation farming.
To ensure effective use and management of the water schemes, Utsev and his ministry, along with the African Development Bank and other stakeholders, recently developed a framework for WASHCOM formation and management in Abuja. This framework aims to involve community members in managing WASH facilities, addressing frequent breakdowns, and preventing abandonment of water and sanitation facilities, contributing to the achievement of SDGs 6.1 and 6.2.