FG to add to existing 10,000 jobs in water sector through key reforms

As part of activities marking the celebration of World Water Day, the Federal Government has promised to add to existing 10,000 jobs it created in the sector by embarking on reforms in water resources management and construction of more water infrastructure through dams, irrigation and water supply infrastructure.

Suleiman Adamu, minister of water resources, at the commemoration of World Water Day celebration on Tuesday in Abuja, with the theme: “Water and Jobs,” said the ministry was embarking on accelerated reforms that would enable it take full advantage of multi-sector nature of the water sector for conservation of water resources, availability of potable water and job creation.

Adamu said the reforms would focus on: National Water Policy and National Water Bill, which have been finalised by the ministry and were ready for submission to the relevant authorities to empower the ministry with an enabling law to operate.

According to Adamu, the ministry is driving its reforms on a revised National Resources Master Plan, which has been finalised with assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency, and ready for dissemination to the public, and a blueprint to strengthen the River Basin Development Authorities.

The reforms, the minister said, will not only strengthen the capacity of the ministry but will create jobs for the teeming Nigerian populace to sustain the economy. This, the minister said would be a way of exploring the advantages in the multi-sectoral aspects of the water sector.

Speaking further on Hydro-electricity generation, he noted that the ministry was currently in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNID0) to utilise some of the dam projects for hydro-electricity generation.

To further support agricultural diversification through water resources, the minister informed that “the ministry intends to increase irrigable land, from 70 000 ha to 500,000 ha in the next 15 years with all the requisite infrastructure.”

On boosting access to potable water, he said: “Efforts are on top gear to increase water access from existing 69 percent to 75 percent by 2017 and to 85 percent in 2020.”

Notably, the United Nations Water Development Report in its flagship reports of 2016 said that between 1990 and 2010, 2.3 billion people gained access to improved drinking water resources. The report noted, however that there is still over 700 million people without access to clean and safe water for healthy life.

In this respect, the minister said, the reforms being embarked on in the water resources management will position the country in harnessing key advantages in the sector.