By Sunusi Usaini Madobi
Water is life, provision of portable drinking water to the entire citizenry across the 21 local government areas of Jigawa state is one of the cardinal principles of Governor Mohammed Badaru administration. This is being done through the co-ordination of matters relating to the provision and development of portable drinking water in a safe and hygienic way.
The state Ministry of Water Resources, under its highly innovative and passionate commissioner, a former federal law maker, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba Hanin Giwa, with support of his credible and competent staff, has repositioned and upgraded several water treatment plants, renovated others and constructed new ones, so as to enhance service delivery in the water sector.
Since inception, the Badaru administration having recognized that one of the basic pre-requisites for healthy growth and development is the provision of efficient and reliable portable water, immediately released N1.9billion rapid intervention scheme.
Some of the projects in the water sector include operation and maintenance of water supply scheme for which N57,859,083 is earmarked monthly for the procurement of diesel, servicing materials, and water treatment chemicals; the Greater Dutse design review N5,000,000; rehabilitation of hand pumps and boreholes across the state N91,449,728; payment of counterpart fund for 12 LGS under the DFID/EU/UNICEF supported programmes; hand-pump construction & overhauling of generator N150,506,000; replacement of submersible pumps N239,216,981.
Others are repair of surface overhead tanks N104,044, 481; converting of several schemes to solar ones N171,126,515; construction of new solar scheme across the state N260,780,588; pipeline extension N12,016,403; procurement of electro mechanism parts N72,516,316; civil works N29,521,940; construction and development of boreholes N15,858,127,858.127; replacement of height P5 booters and flight pumps N15,858.127; rehabilitation of Babura General Hospital water scheme N2,499,000; improvement of Kazaure General Hospital water plant N2,499,000; and procurement of laboratory equipment and reagent N7,100,720,
Water and sanitation is one of the key priorities of the Badaru administration in Jigawa state. The water intervention scheme was therefore the first major infrastructure rehabilitation effort on which the sum of N1.9 billion was expended with N636 million as recurrent because of the motorized nature of most of our water facilities.
This intervention resulted in the replacement of 402 submersible pumps, repair of 92 overhead tanks, overhauling of 25k generators and various civil works to provide or repair pump houses, conversion of 39 motorized schemes to solar and rehabilitation of 4, 192 hand pumps.
Pipe reticulation covering 3322 meters was also carried out within the period and 42 new solar facilities, 510 new hand pumps and 2 boreholes put in place to provide water to the people.
Provision has been made for the re-design of Greater Dutse water scheme covering about 21 communities and providing water to the state capital, Dutse.
Government is working closely with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to collaborate on the scheme and solve the perennial water shortage in the state capital.
The Jigawa Sate Mniistry of Water Resources is vested with the sponsibilities of policy formulation on water resources, research and development into the use of appropriate technology and approaches, liaise, co-ordinate with many stakeholders on water supply and sanitation such as federal, state, local governments and international donor agencies.
Dams, rivers and other water areas are targeted to provide 100% access to safe water sanitation and hygiene by 2020 and equally to have a society with adequate and safe water.
The Governor Badaru administration has recorded nemorous achievements in the water sector despite the economic challenges in view of the importance of water to human development. In addition to contracts worth millions of Naira awarded for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Gumel and Kazaure water schemes, to bring to an end the perennial water shortage facing the teeming citizenry in the two towns, on completion of the projects, the provision of water would be greatly enhanced and improved upon.
Nigeria has the highest population growth rate in the world, equally Jigawa is one of the states with the highest population growth in the country. This calls for more demand for water for domestic use. The Badaru government, therefore, considers it an obligation to provide portable drinking water in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The people of the state, no doubt, have expressed appreciation on the level of concern and commitment by the present administration in the area of water supply which has helped greatly to provide water to all parts of the state.
Moreover, government is working with several development partners such as European Union, Department of International Development, a UK funded programme, and UNICEF in the area of water and hygiene with establishment of various committees to sensitize and mobilize people on how to maintain existing water plants and schemes in their respective community and the need to ensure proper hygiene so as to prevent the outbreak of any diseases. This has yielded fruitful result with support from development partners in terms of technical know how, vehicles, and logistic support to achieve the set objectives.
To this end about 12 local government areas are currently benefitting from the collaboration which played a significant role in the provision of water and hygiene in the areas with full integration of people in the locality in the programme in order to create ownership and sense of belonging in line with international best practice. Formulation of state water supply policy has greatly assisted government in the implementation of several water programmes as an area of prime concern by the current administration. A number of communities across the 27 local government are jubilating over the adequate provision of water by the present administration.
The monthly provision of diesel to water schemes, servicing and minor repairs on monthly basis, has enhanced water supply in local areas as due to motorized nature of the schemes they solely rely on diesel to provide water.
In some rural areas members of the community have organized water associations, which work in close relation among themselves to support government in this direction. This has played a significant role towards water supply in rural areas, especially those in collaboration with development partners.
Interestingly, the state ministry of water resource, with seasoned and qualified engineers, undertake a survey and feasibility study on the level of water in the ground before the construction of any borehole in order to ensure boreholes are constructed in the right places.
The state celebrated the World Handwashing Day set aside by the United Nations to create awareness on water and hygiene. Also, Jigawa state actively participates in all programmes by the United Nations on water and hygiene as a key player in the sector. Thus, people interviewed in the state express joy, and appreciation with improvement recorded in water sector, as an important instrument for human development.
In conclusion, we congratulate the present administration for the success recorded in this sector, and equally urge the good people of the state to support government’s effort in this direction.
Madobi wrote from Dutse
