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Kwara holds workshop for stakeholders on water, sanitation investment
The Kwara State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, has organised a workshop for major stakeholders to review the draft investment plan for Urban Water and Sanitation in the State.
Declaring the workshop open at Peace Hotel and Suites, Off Tanke Road, Ilorin, Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Usman Yunusa Lade stated that the workshop has become necessary considering the huge investment the State Government had expended on the water sector and water-related activities.
The Commissioner, while appreciating the laudable intervention of the Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq towards improving the State’s water sector, stressed that it was gradually becoming difficult for government to continue to bear the day-to-day operational and maintenance costs of its water facilities across the state.
Expatiating further, Hon. Lade said that water supply should be for economic good, adding that consumers need to pay for the services to allow the sustainability of the system, especially in the urban areas.
He emphasized that the essence of the workshop was to validate the draft master plan for water supply and sanitation by the stakeholders to serve as a working tool for the state government.
The current exercise, according to him, is targeted at urban communities, stressing that a similar programme to cover rural communities across the state is already underway.
He appealed to the participants to thoroughly examine the draft master plan through active participation, thoughtful insights, and constructive feedback during the discussion.
“The Draft Master Plan Report is now available for your review, and I encourage you to thoroughly examine it through active participation, thoughtful insights, and constructive feedback during our discussions. Let us collectively ensure that this Master Plan reflects the aspirations and needs of our communities”, Lade said.
Also addressing the participants, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Christiana Omolola Asonibare reiterated the state government’s resolve to provide the people with potable water supply with a proper hygienic environment.
She described the discussion as a successful and fruitful one that will bring the people out of their present shackle.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Ag. Secretary of the State Water Corporation, Hajia Abdulhamid Raliat Salah said that deliberation on the draft masterplan by the major stakeholders will tremendously impact positively on the state water sector.
In his opening remarks, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Abuja; Engr. Kaseem Nafiu said that the Federal and State Ministries of Water Resources are trying to collaborate to improve the sector and attract investors to the state, which will later translate into a better economy.
Speaking at the occasion, the Principal Consultant of Devefrique Resources, who is handling the consultancy services, Dr. Linda Akpami hinted that the objective of the exercise is to develop a water and sanitation masterplan that will detail the capital projects.
She said that this is required for the system planning and expansion to meet the immediate, medium, and long-term water and sanitation demand sufficient to serve the urban population of the state utilities.
The participants were drawn from the State Ministry of Water Resources; State Water Corporation; Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA); State Ministry of Environment; Ministry of Health; Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency; House of Assembly; and Members of the Academia from the Federal, State and private-owned university communities in the state, among others.
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