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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has announced the state’s onboarding into the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, a World Bank-assisted initiative aimed at improving access to potable water, sanitation and hygiene across the state.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Mr Ugwu Odoh, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.
He described the development as a major boost to efforts to revive the state’s ailing water sector.
Odoh said the SURWASH programme would “open up the water sector” by supporting infrastructure development, investment and public-private partnerships aimed at expanding access to safe and reliable water.
He said the government, upon assumption of office, undertook a comprehensive review of the legal framework governing the water sector as part of efforts to address years of underinvestment and infrastructure decay.
“Before this administration, the water sector in Benue
State was in a very bad shape. Upon assumption of office, His Excellency gave me a marching order to look at what we needed to do to improve the water sector and give the people of Benue State access to clean water.
He explained that the government subsequently worked with stakeholders and water experts from across the country to review the existing legislation and develop a new Water and Sanitation Reform Law for the state.
Under the new law, Odoh said, water is now treated as a commodity rather than merely a utility, creating opportunities for private investors to participate in the sector and recover their investments through public-private partnership arrangements.
The Commissioner said the SURWASH programme would further strengthen the reform by providing support for the development of water infrastructure through collaboration between the state government, the World Bank and private-sector partners.
He disclosed that the national SURWASH team, alongside officials of Nalado Nigeria Limited, had commenced on-the-spot assessments of water infrastructure in the state.
The team, he said, was assessing the Greater Makurdi Water Works and the old water works in Makurdi, including pipeline extensions and reticulation to the new settlements within Makurdi as well as rehabilitation of the existing distribution network.
The assessment is expected to extend beyond Makurdi, with Katsina-Ala Local Government and Otukpo LGA also listed for evaluation.
“Tomorrow, they will move to Katsina-Ala to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the Katsina-Ala Water Project. After that, they will move to Otukpo,” the commissioner said.
He also highlighted recent government interventions at the Otobi Waterworks. This is a good news to the state and with that people will have access to clean water and access to good sanitation and hygiene.”
The Commissioner also disclosed that the state had cleared a debt of N670 million owed to China-based CGC, the company that constructed the new waterworks at Otobi.
The debt, he said, had remained outstanding for more than 13 years before it was settled by the present administration.
He added that the government had also rehabilitated the Otobi Waterworks, which had been abandoned for years saying the old Otobi facility is expected to undergo further assessment to determine the rehabilitation required to restore it and expand water supply to residents of Otukpo and surrounding communities.
According to the commissioner, the new waterworks is expected to serve Otukpo and extend water supply down to Taraku.
He described the SURWASH programme as “good news for the state,” noting that besides improving access to potable water, sanitation and hygiene, the initiative would also support the state’s efforts to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.
