By Abbas Nazil
The Federal Government of Nigeria has successfully completed and commissioned 565 water supply schemes, three multipurpose dams, four major irrigation projects, and numerous sanitation facilities across the country within the past two years.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, made this disclosure in an interview with journalists on Monday in Abuja, highlighting the ministry’s progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).
Utsev emphasized that these interventions are in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in enhancing food and water security and supporting agricultural growth.
Among the major accomplishments are the commissioning of the Rafin Yashin Dam in Niger State, the Odo-Ape Hydropower Dam in Kogi State, and the Amla Dam in Benue State. These dams are designed to support irrigation, electricity generation, and agro-industrial activities.
In the area of hydropower and agro-logistics, the minister announced the successful concessioning of the 40MW Kashimbila Hydropower Plant in Taraba State and the integrated Agro-Allied Cargo Airport, which together have generated over N7.1 billion in commencement fees into the federal concession account for the first five years.
Concerning irrigation, the ministry has completed four key projects including the Bakalori scheme in Zamfara and the Dadin-Kowa scheme in Gombe, which provide thousands of hectares of irrigated farmlands for dry-season farming.
Additionally, two micro-irrigation projects were completed in Oyo and Jigawa States to support smallholder farmers.
Prof. Utsev further revealed that four major water supply projects have been completed in Jigawa, Yobe, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with three others in Gombe and Yobe at 90 percent completion.
Collaborating with state governments and development partners under initiatives such as PEWASH, SURWASH, and AfDB, the ministry constructed 565 water supply schemes serving over 450,000 Nigerians.
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In the drive for improved sanitation, 40 additional Local Government Areas (LGAs) have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, bringing the total to 142 LGAs nationwide.
Furthermore, 159 sanitation facilities have been built across 23 states, and advocacy campaigns have reached over 25 million Nigerians through jingles in five local languages.
The minister announced ongoing efforts to complete 14 more dams and several irrigation projects across Plateau, Enugu, Ekiti, Oyo, and Kwara States.
Over 100 new water supply projects have been awarded in 2024.
The ministry has also commenced the Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria (SPIN) Project in 20 states to modernize infrastructure and harness hydropower potential.
To revitalize the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs), partnerships have been formed with private sector players and state governments.
A total of 4,429 hectares of farmland have been leased to commercial farmers, while irrigation infrastructure has been developed for 154,000 hectares, creating employment for more than 1.6 million farmers.
Additional milestones include the issuance of 24 water use licenses by the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, the training of 1,377 youths in plumbing and drilling by the National Water Resources Institute, and the publication of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency.
The ministry plans to complete 11 new projects in 2025, launch school and public sanitation initiatives, and develop a National Framework for Flood Insurance.
Prof. Utsev expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, development partners, state governments, and the media for their continued support and reaffirmed the ministry’s dedication to sustainable water resource management for national development.
