ABUJA – The Federal Ministry of Water Resources said in Abuja on Tuesday that 30 million Nigerians would benefit from various water projects being executed across the country.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, gave the assurance at the 2014 Ministerial Platform for the ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Information.
Ochekpe said the country would achieve the goal when construction works at various dams were completed.
She said the objectives of the project were to increase access to pipe- borne water networks in selected urban areas of the project states.
The minister listed the project states as Lagos, Cross River, Anambra, Osun, Jigawa, Kano and Yobe
According to her, water project will also improve reliability and financial viability of the state water agencies for sustainable service delivery in the nearest future.
‘’When the construction works of all the dams are completed the water impoundment in the nation’s dams will be increased by 3.6 billion cubic meters.
‘’Out of the 37 completed dams, 16 are with hydropower potential capable of generating 135.15 megawatts.
‘’The total installed capacities of the completed water facilities amounts to 1.9 million cubic meters per day which is capable of meeting the water demand of about 30 million people, especially those living in rural areas and small towns. [eap_ad_1] ‘’The Water Sector Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan has focused on the provision of sustainable access to safe and sufficient water to meet the social and economic needs of all Nigerians.’’
She said the ministry was engaging in the construction, operation and maintenance of dams nationwide to impound raw water for potable water supply, hydropower, irrigation, fishery development, flood control, tourism and recreation.
The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, said the initiative of Ministerial Platform was for the ministries to present to Nigerians what they had achieved.
He said the Ministerial Platform was designed in partnership with the National Planning Commission and formally approved by the President and the Federal Executive Council to ensure accountability.
He said there would be no successful government if people were left out of government programmes.
Maku said that Nigeria would not run a democratic government without people participating and public officers rendering account of the resources made available to them to develop the society.
The highpoints of the event were exhibitions of products by River Basin Development Authorities and award to those who performed well in the development of the water sector. (NAN)
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