Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Water Resources, is set to construct two additional laboratories for testing water quality, that would complement the six located in the geo-political zones in bid to ensure access to safe water drinking.
Mr. Habu Jamilu, the Deputy Director, Water Quality in the ministry confirmed the reports and said that the government targets to see that each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have one laboratory and all 37 laboratories will be well utilized to achieve the objectives they are established.
“It is in the overall interest of the government to promote adherence to water safety plans. We are testing villages under our comprehensive Rural Water Surveillance Programme. For now, we are supplying the kits, we believe that one day, it will be available everywhere,” said Mr Habu Jamilu.
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Consumption of contaminated water
The laboratories will be set up to take care of the chemical side of testing for water and the micro-biological side where the pathogens that cause diseases are discovered. “When the physical aspects of water have been sorted out, the chemical aspect of it has to be taken care of by the laboratories,” explains Mr Habu Jamilu.
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), 90% of households in Nigeria consume contaminated water and other impure substances. When the portable water is made available, majority of tropical diseases in the country as a result of infected water will be dealt with.
Mr Habu Jamilu added that ministry was collaborating with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enforce the National Standard for Drinking Water Quality, and urged borehole drillers to abide by the National Drilling Code of Practice.
