Nigerian Government in partnership with Japanese International Cooperation (JICA) has provided a complete set of drilling equipment to five states namely; Niger, Taraba, Kebbi, Ondo and Enugu.
The partnership had earlier provided 788 hand pump boreholes to rural communities in Oyo, Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Bauchi.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe made this known on, Friday in Minna, Niger State during the commissioning and handing over ceremony of the drilling equipment to the five states of Niger, Taraba, Kebbi, Ondo and Enugu.
Mrs. Ochekpe said that Federal Government, through National Planning Commission approached JICA for assistance in Water Supply and Sanitation being one of the prominent donor agencies in the World.
It was in view of this that Japanese Government through its agency in Nigeria, Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) agreed to provide assistance in form of Grant-In-Aid for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation to Nigeria Government.
According to her, “in 2002 JICA approved Grant-in Aid of 710 million Japan Yen for the construction of 100 boreholes equipped with hand pumps in 16 Local Governments in Oyo State. In 2005 JICA also approved 356million Yen for provision of 240 boreholes in 33 local Governments in Kano State, in 2007, JICA approved 265 million Yen for construction of 89 boreholes in 17 Local Governments of Yobe State, in 2009 it has also approved 505 million Yen for the construction of boreholes in Katsina and Bauchi states”.
She noted that recently Government of Japan approved a Grant-In- Aid of 1.1630 billion Japanese Yen to support project for Water Supply Development in Niger, Taraba, Kebbi, Ondo and Enugu States. The amount was used to procure complete set of drilling equipment and accessories for the five states.
The equipment had been commissioned and handed over to the benefiting states, urging the benefiting states to complement JICA by appropriating adequate funds for maintenance of the equipment.
Furthermore, she said that JICA has granted assistance of 160 million Yen to strengthen capacity and development of National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna. It is therefore expected that all the benefiting states should send their officers to the National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna for training.
In his goodwill message, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji said that the Government of Japan is committed to partner with Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure adequate water supply to rural areas. He added that water supply is very important in socio economic development of a country.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Baba Umar Faruk represented by Engineer Rufus Onyeanusi, a Deputy Director in the Ministry said that the programme will go a long way in solving water supply and sanitation problem in the rural areas of the benefiting states.
In his remarks, the Executive Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, represented by his Deputy Governor, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria and JICA for the partnership aimed at poverty reduction and improvement of the benefiting communities through increased water supply. He added that the project would impact on the lives of the benefiting states.
