The federal government has attributed the challenges facing the water sector to the inability of state governments to adequately estimate population growth in order to meet water supply demands.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Hussaini Adamu, stated this during a press conference which was recently held in Abuja while giving update on major projects in the sector.
He further explained that the biggest issue plaguing the sector is poor planning by governing authorities to make sure that water intervention and planning are completed on time.
Adamu went on to explain that everything concerning water resources is organic and has to do with a growing population, and warns that existing plans must be strengthened and optimized.
According to him ” The FG through the ministry in 2016 initiated a National Programme tagged, “Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) as a national collaborative instrument to mobilise resources and harness the efforts of governments at all levels, development partners, private sector, NGOs, philanthropists and communities towards the same objectives and targets of achieving zero percent open defecation and 100 per cent access to water supply and sanitation by 2030 in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals”
” Our PEWASH program is going on very well, we did the pilot program in 2018 for Kano and Ogun state. We did 12 states now and we have 5 additional states that we’re working on. Contracts were recently awarded for the federal government companies, but we’re putting modification to the concept of PEWASH”
” We Initially said state government will need to show that they have made budgetary commitments. Federal government will still do its 50% of the scope awarded, but unfortunately some states remit on their commitments, and in that respect the community looses access to water supply and the whole purpose of the PAWASH program was defeated”
Additionally, he also pledged that his administration will leave no stone unturned and assures that he will continue to partner with relevant stakeholders in the water sector and the National Assembly to ontinue to introduce and facilitate bills that would alleviate the pains of the citizens.
Conclusively, he adds ” Agriculture hold a dear place in the heart of the current administration, and my Ministry will continue to maximize the state of food security”.
