Lalong launches N550m water project in Plateau

The Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau state has launched a N550 million water sanitation and hygiene project (WASH) in the state.

The governor represented by Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, David Ja’afaru Wuyep launched the sanitation project in Jos on Thursday.

Governor Lalong said his administration has partnered with the European Union (EU) to sponsor the project in order to ensure access to clean water and open free defection communities in the state.

Lalong said that N550 million counterpart fund has been divided into two parts with the sum of N220 million for rural communities and the sum of N330 milllion for the urban communities.

“Today is just the official launching of the project, but out of the counterpart money that we have paid about 700 boreholes have been constructed in the rural areas, the EU has played a major part in achieving this success,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Director of Programme, Water Aid, Andy Omoluabi said as a result of the project some communities in Shendam and Riyom local government areas have been declared open defection free.

He said, “As EU partnered Plateau state government on the water sanitation and hygiene project, the citizens of the state in both rural and urban communities would get access to clean, hygienic and portable water.”