General News
STAKEHOLDERS in the Water and Sanitation sector in Northwest geopolitical zone have called for the overhauling of the sector to enhance the provision of potable water nationwide.
In their contribution to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey on how to revive the public water supply system, respondents in Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and Katsina states, were of the consensus that the state of potable water supply in Northwest and the country in general, lacked much to be desired.
In Kano, respondents called for the upgrading of the water supply system to boost potable water supply across the nation.
Some of them identified lack of maintenance culture as one of the factors responsible for the state of affairs, observing that most people never imbibed the habit of ‘prudence’ in managing potable water that government spent huge amount of money to treat.
One of the stakeholders even suggested the privatisation of the sector, revealing that a research conducted indicated the willingness of people to pay for improved potable water.
A respondent from Kano, Prof Salisu Dan’azumi of the Department of Civil Engineering, Bayero Univeristy, stressed the need for collaboration amongst stakeholders.
“The need to revive public water system cannot be over-emphasized; we cannot sustain our life without water for household activities.
“The problem of water supply comes from the intake, treatment, transmission, and distribution, which are the major processes water system undergo before it passes for consumption.
“The quantity of water being supplied to the public is less than 30 per cent of demand, making it difficult for people to access sufficient public water; they now source water from boreholes, water vendors and other sources”, Danazumi said.
The Don advised people to look at water as an ‘economic product’ rather than a ‘social product’, so that everyone would learn to safeguard the little they have.
Furthermore, he revealed that a survey conducted by his department indicated that people were willingness to pay for improved water supply, as such, he advised government to look into the possibility of partial privatisation of the sector to guarantee improved services.
On his part, Prof. Aliyu Barau of Urban and Regional Planning Department, Bayero University Kano, said that less than 20 million Nigerians had access to clean water.
He explained that the statistics was released by the National Bureau of Statistics, saying that the period of review was the last two years.
He stressed that governments needed to double efforts in water resources development and distribution to Nigerians in urban and rural areas.
Meanwhile, a staff of the Kano state Ministry for Water Resources, Mr Yusuf Lawan, said that the Federal and State Governments had been making effort to develop the water sector.
He said that with support from development partners, the water and sanitation sector had recently been receiving a lot of attention.
Mr Lawan said that apart from reviving water supply systems, there was need to pay attention to the rehabilitation of existing solar powered boreholes.
A Civil Engineer in Kano, Alhaji Mukhtar Sheriff, also emphasised the need to review the water supply scheme of the country to ensure adequate supply.
Sheriff also called on governments at all levels to place priority on sanitation and provision of potable water in their annual budgets.
In Kaduna, Mr Sanusi Maikudi, Managing Director of Kaduna State Water Cooperation (KADSWAC), said Kaduna State Government was doing its bests in the area of water supply.
He attributed the water scarcity being witnessed in parts of Kaduna metropolis to the ongoing urban renewal projects.
“Due to the dualisation and expansion of roads, pipes were removed and expansion is ongoing, but after completion, water supply would be restored”, assured .
On challenges, the director said most of the items used for water treatment, both infrastructure and consumable, had to be imported.
“Also, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukrane war have disrupted the final supply value chain”, he said.
Meanwhile, some residents of Kaduna who spoke to NAN said water supply within the metropolis had been very poor.
Mr Kabiru Ladan of Ungwan Mu’azu said he could not recall when last he saw water gushing out of the pipe-borne water in his house.
“We depend on well water and water from neighbors who are generous enough with their boreholes,” he said.
Also, Isa Mahmud of Ibadan street in Kaduna, noted that although the ongoing construction of roads affected water supply, the scarcity in supply had existed long before the commencement of the road projects.
Also, Mrs Deborah Musa of Sabo area lamented cases of unattended broken pipes in their settlement, which affected water supply.
Meanwhile, Zamfara State Commissioner for Water Resources, Ibrahim Mayana, said government had commenced the process of fine-tuning the State Water Policy.
He said the process had gone far, adding that all stakeholders were being carried along.
“Very soon, we are going to complete the drafting process and present same to the National Council on Water Resources.
“The policy, which is the first of its kind since the creation of the state, would help in addressing challenges of water supply in the state”, the Commissioner added.
According to him, the policy will help the state meet international standards and also receive support from International Organizations.
On its part, Kebbi State Ministry of Water Resources, said it had concluded arrangements to revive public water supply system across the state.
The Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Aminu Umar, told NAN that the four main water supply plants in the state, would be revived.
Umar identified lack of maintenance culture of the facilities as one of the major challenges faced in sustaining water supply in the state.
In his contribution, the Managing Director of Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa , said the Commission had earmarked over N900 million for the reconstruction of the 42 year- old Yauri Water Works in the state to ease difficulties faced by people in Yauri Emirate.
He said that similar intervention would be extended to other power-producing communities in the area facing similar challenges as a result of unfulfilled agreement reached when Kanji dam was constructed.
Yelwa, who lamented the dilapidated state of the water works, said that some aspects of the project required upgrading or replacement.
Also, the General Manager of the State Water Board, Engineer, Zayyanu Shehu, told NAN that several boreholes had been sunk with massive reservoirs storing water as back-up and for emergency purposes.
“This is an antidote to the global warming that may likely force dams and lakes supplying water to the water works to dry up,” Shehu said.
Moreover, the Chairman of Board of Trustees of Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative (KJDI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, Alhaji Abubakar Gotomo, said that the NGO had drilled over 365 motorised boreholes across the 225 political wards in the state.
Gotomo also commended the founder of the foundation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Jusruce, for standing firmly in the service of humanity, describing him as a rare philanthropist.
On it’s part, the Katsina State Government said it had expended over N2.6 billion on provision of water to over 2000 rural communities in the state.
State governor, Aminu Masari said all the urban and rural water projects captured in his “Restoration Agenda” would be completed to provide potable drinking to the people.
In Sokoto, Alhaji Dahiru Yabo, State Commissioner for Water Resources told NAN that the state government had been doing its best to ensure supply of potable water to its people.
He said there were about 10 mega water supply projects that comprised treatment plants, semi urban water supply schemes, drilling sources, distribution processors, and storage facilities across the state. (NAN)
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Tags: Abubakar Malami Alhaji Aminu Umar Alhaji Dahiru Yabo Bayero Univeristy Bayero University Kano Kaduna State Water Cooperation (KADSWAC) Prof Salisu Dan’azumi Prof. Aliyu Barau Sanusi Maikudi Water and Sanitation sector Yusuf Lawan
