Nigeria needs N6trn to meet water challenges – Minister

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, says Nigeria needs about N6 trillion to meet the demands for water supply infrastructure.

The minister made this known at the 28th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Water Resources in Abuja.

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He listed the major challenges facing the sustainable development of the water sector to include funding, poor water governance, obsolete infrastructure, amongst others.

He said the meeting was an opportunity to discuss developments in the water sector, evaluate issues, address identified challenges and chart a way forward towards resolving contemporary challenges.

Adamu said a review of water governance, sustainable financing, pricing for water services was being considered.

The minister said the World Bank had committed $700 million to support Nigeria in its National WASH Action plan towards revitilisation of the sector through the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply and sanitation Hygiene (SURWASH) programme.

“SURWASH is expected to provide six million people with basic drinking water services and 1.4 million people access to improved sanitation services.

“The programme will deliver improved WASH services to 2,000 schools and healthcare facilities and assist communities to achieve open defecation-free status,” he said.

Mr Olusade Adesola, representative of the FCT Minister, Dr Mohammed Bello, said provision of clean and safe clean drinking water to FCT residents was top priority of the Federal Government through the FCT Administration.

He listed challenges of population explosion, inadequate funding amongst others, saying implementable policies were underway to address this need.