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The Federal Government has initiated steps to revamp abandoned water projects across Nigeria to ensure the availability of potable water for citizens. This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr. Joseph Utsev, following a two-day inspection of water projects in Osun State.
During the inspection, which included visits to the Ilesa water dam in Kajola and the Ife water dam in Ogudu, Utsev emphasized the government’s commitment to completing ongoing water projects and reviving those that had been abandoned.
Accompanied by the Osun State Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Sunday Oroniyi, the minister highlighted the importance of these water projects in supplying treated water to local communities. However, Utsev noted that the current water volume at the Ilesa dam was insufficient for the treatment process needed to adequately supply the surrounding areas.
“We’ve been going around the country, and now, we are touring the South West Zone of the country, which brought us to these dam sites being constructed here in Osun,” Utsev said. He explained that the federal government would work with consultants and stakeholders to explore environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions to ensure sufficient water supply for citizens.
Utsev also mentioned that after completing his inspection tour of various water and other project sites across the country, he would devise strategies to ensure that Nigerians receive value for the money invested in these projects.
In his remarks, Commissioner Oroniyi expressed optimism about the minister’s visit, describing it as a potential turning point for the Ilesa and Ile-Ife water projects. “I want to believe that the visit of the minister will bring a lot of positive change. This is because Ilesa Dam has been on for a long time and has even stopped. But we want to see the reason the project stopped, and that is the reason behind this fact-finding mission by the Minister,” Oroniyi said.
