From Yakubu Wuyep, Jos
The National Urban Water Sector Reform Project has been extended by two years to 2028, giving Plateau State more time to complete ongoing rehabilitation works and other components of the intervention in Greater Jos.
The Plateau State Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Hon Lawandi Datti, disclosed this in Jos at the opening of the second semester Project Coordination and Review Workshop of the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project.
The two-day workshop, held at Crispan Hotel and Suites under the theme: ‘Improving water supply and sanitation service delivery,’ brings together stakeholders from Plateau, Enugu, Ondo, and Kano states to review implementation progress and address challenges.
Datti said the Plateau component includes the rehabilitation of the Yakubu Gowon and Laminga water treatment plants as well as reticulation works within Greater Jos.
According to him, the extension will enable the state to complete the projects and maximize the benefits of the intervention.
”I want to assure the good people of Plateau that after this project is completed, the issue of water scarcity will be history,” Datti said.
Declaring the workshop open, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Josephine Chundung Piyo, said sustainable reforms and strong institutions are critical to addressing challenges in Nigeria’s urban water sector.
Mutfwang noted that rapid urban growth is putting enormous pressure on existing infrastructure, stressing the need for strategic, sustainable and accountable approaches to service delivery.
”As leaders and public administrators, our responsibility is not simply to provide infrastructure but to build systems that can deliver sufficiently, consistently and sustainably over a long time,” he said.
The governor charged participants to critically review project performance, identify implementation bottlenecks and develop practical solutions that will translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
Representing the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr Joseph Terlumun Utsev, Engr Kasim Muhammad Nafiu, said the workshop would enable the four implementing states to assess progress, identify challenges and agree on measures to improve delivery.
Nafiu commended Plateau State for committing $2.6 billion as counterpart funding, but stressed the need for additional funds to address taxes and compensation as rehabilitation works progress.
Earlier, the Project Coordinator, Engr. Charles Eze, said the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project, which commenced in 2017, was designed to improve access to essential services and strengthen the capacity of participating states.
Eze said the project covers Plateau, Enugu, Ondo and Kano States and has recorded about 80 per cent implementation so far.
He said the project remains critical to public health and the wellbeing of benefiting communities.
The workshop, supported by the French Development Agency (AFD), is expected to review progress across the four states and chart the way forward for the remaining period of implementation.