By Usman Shauibu
Following the determination to take the water sector to a required standard, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has officially unveiled a water programme called Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping(WASH-NORM).
The unveiling was done by outgoing Minister of the Ministry, Eng. Suleiman H. Adamu during a valedictory session organized for him in Abuja.
The minister also inaugurated a planning committee for the presidential launch of clean Nigeria campaign during the valedictory session.
Earlier, in his press briefing held at the ministry’s secretariat, the minister said that his administration inherited 116 major on-going and abandoned projects on assumption of office in 2015. He added that eleven of these on-going and abandoned projects have been completed and commissioned.
“We inherited 116 Nos major on-going and abandoned projects on assumption of office in 2015, as follows: Irrigation & Drainage -38Nos, Dams & Reservoir -37Nos, Water Supply -41Nos.”
“So far, 11 projects have been completed and commissioned. These are Central Ogbia Regional Water Project, Bayelsa State, Northern Ishan Regional Water Supply Project, Edo State, Rehabilitation of Ojirami Dam Water Supply Project, Edo State, Sabke Water Supply Project, Katsina State,Dutsi Water Supply Project, Katsina State,Mashi Water Supply Project, Katsina State,Takum Water Supply Project, Taraba State,Sabke Irrigation Project, Katsina State,Rehabilitation of Kargo Dam, Jaji, Kaduna State, Ekeremor Water Supply Project, Bayelsa, State,Mangu Water Supply Project, Plateau State,Federal University of Agriculture, Markudi Water Supply Project, Benue State.”
“Additionally, five (5) projects have been completed and are ready for commissioning, namely:Kashimbila Dam, Taraba State,Ogwashi – Uku Dam,Delta State,Shagari Irrigation Project, Sokoto State,Galma Dam, Kaduna State,Ahmadu Bello University Water Supply Project, Kaduna State.”
In her welcome address at the valedictory session, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mrs Comfort C. Ekaro, added this; “For the first term in the history of the water sector, the ministry collaborated with the the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) and development partners notably Unicef and World Bank to develop diedicated tools for tracking progress towards the attainment of SDG for water supply and sanitation in our country. The culminated in the preparation of the maiden WASH-National outcome RoutineMapping(WASH-NORM) Rport that will be launched today by the Honourable Minister.”
