FG Seeks Private Sector Partnership on Water Resources

Udora Orizu and Folalumi Alaran

The federal government has called for effective partnership with the private sector in order to maximise the economic benefit of the nation’s water resources.

The Minister of Water resources, Suleiman Adamu, made the call in Abuja, at a workshop on the draft of National Water Source Protection Policy.

He said the water sector has huge challenge in the cost mechanism management and the government alone cannot manage it efficiently.

He explained that the country comprises of 37 water agencies which are inefficient and the critical infrastructures may not be reliable as adequate maintenance have continued to deteriorate over time.

Adamu said, “As we all know, protecting of water sources is critical to the sustenance of life and this means the adequate management of our water sources in an integrated manner is an important element to human livelihood as well as being key to prosperity. To address security issues related to Water Source, a partnership approach is being proposed, involving Federal, State, Local, or Communal government entities; private sector owners, operators and representative organizations; academic and professional bodies; and certain not-for-profit and private volunteer organizations that share in the responsibility for protecting the Nation’s critical sector assets.”

On her part, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack said the shortcomings in the water sector have been adequately addressed with the new draft policy.

She assured that the policy when finalized will better serve and provide for enhancement of the sector in line with global best practices thereby creating environment for public and private sector investments.

Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Director, Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC), Umar Magashi said the policy draft is in line with already existing policies while taking into considerations the latest development in the sector.

“The journey to the draft policy before us today started with its approval by the National Council on Water Resources 2017, led to the inauguration of a special National Technical Committee (experts) in 2018 which produced this draft policy. It is worthy to note that this draft policy has been subjected to experts and relevant stakeholders in the sector for professional inputs prior to this validation workshop, “he added.