THE Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) says that the number of homes with improved access to potable water has increased appreciably due to its investment in water supply projects.

The Managing Director of LWC, Mr Muminu Badmus, said this on Tuesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

“Due to our increased investment, the hardship which many residents suffer in getting potable water in their homes has reduced. The corporation is committed to improving the delivery of water to Lagos residents.

“Under our short-term plan, we have rehabilitated three major waterworks — 70 million gallons per day (MGD) Adiyan waterworks, 40 MGD Iju waterworks and 4 MGD Ishasi waterworks – as well as Akute intakes and 48 mini waterworks across the state.

“Now, we are moving forward to the implementation of Lagos Water Master Plan with the ongoing execution of the Adiyan Phase II project.

“This project has a designed capacity of 70 MGD and will connect over 200,000 homes, servicing additional three million residents.

“The master plan is part of our long-term plan which is being executed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement,” he said.

Badmus said that the Adiyan Phase II project, when completed, would boost water supply in the western axis, which included areas such as Ikeja, Agege, Dopemu, Mushin, parts of Ikorodu and Igbogbo towns.

“The Adiyan II treatment plant is about 85-per-cent completed and the water reticulation aspect would be handled under the PPP arrangement, which is the only viable option,” he said.

The managing director said that the Igbo-Nla Phase I 100 MGD water scheme was expected to boost water supply to Victoria Island, down to the Lekki corridor.

He said that other projects, which were still in the pipeline for execution through the PPP arrangement, included Yewa I, Ishasi Expansion, Igbo Nla II, Adiyan III, Yewa II, Ibeshe I and Ibeshe II projects.

Badmus said that the state government had invested heavily in these projects so as to make them attractive to private investors, who were particularly expected to inject fresh funds and devise creative strategies to grow the sector.

He said that PPP model was not an entirely profit-driven but would involve fresh injection of private capital into the efficient management of government-owned assets.

Badmus said that the involvement of the private sector in the execution of public projects was particularly aimed at bringing greater efficiency to the management of the projects. (NAN)

– Jun. 19, 2018 @ 14:45 GMT |