Suleiman Hussein Adamu, the federal Minister of Water Resources revealed during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management, that the activities of rebels have led to the delay of the North-east Nigeria Rural Water Supply and Sanitation project.
Also Read: MoU signed for electricity and water supply project in Angola
“The insurgency in parts of Borno and Adamawa states has made it difficult for service providers as well as program staff to gain access to some LGAs and communities within the two states. However, this is expected to be improved owing to recent government decisions,” said the minister.
Lack of understanding of the African Development Bank (AfDB)’s mode of operations at the outset especially at the states, is another constraint that has partly stalled the project according to Hussein Adamu, in addition to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scope of the North-east Nigeria Rural Water Supply and Sanitation project
North-east Nigeria Rural Water Supply and Sanitation project generally entails; construction, repair, and rehabilitation of damaged water supply and sewage infrastructure; increase in the capacity of water supply and sanitation systems to accommodate forcibly displaced population; and institutional support and capacity development support to state institutions in charge of providing water.
The project is financed by an AfDB’s US$ 150M loan shared between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the Adamawa State Government, the Bauchi State Government, the Borno State Government, the Gombe State Government, and the Taraba State Government.
Each of the above-mentioned states is directly responsible for the North-east Nigeria Rural Water Supply and Sanitation project implementation, while the Federal Ministry of Water Resources is carrying out oversight and quality assurance.
