Access to water is still is a mirage in Nigeria. Although blessed with abundance of water yet, this country still contends with scarcity of this natural endowment where over 70 million of its population still lacks access to safe water.Nigeria has an estimated 250 billion cubic metres of surface and ground water, making it a water potential country capable of meeting its domestic, industrial, agricultural, hydropower, transportation and recreational needs.In the midst of this natural abundance however, the nation still ranks as an Economic Water Scarce country due to low investment and poor water management.Recent report ranked Nigeria third among countries in the world for worst rural access to water. Nigeria has 40.9 million people in that category. This is regrettable, considering life sustenance, health, transportation and the agricultural dependence on water by the affected populace.Effective water management is therefore desired for widespread effect on the multi-sector benefits in transportation, energy, agriculture, health and food security policies of the nation; hence the inevitability of an impactful policy direction.The World Health Organization attributes death of 1.8 million people every year to diarrhea; a water borne disease. WHO disclosed that 88 percent of the burden is attributable to poor wastewater management, unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene largely affecting children in developing countries.Cholera, another hygiene and water related disease, was responsible for the death of 7,654 people in 2010, according to a United Nations report. Specifically, contaminated sources of water for drinking and utility were fingered for these deaths.Report obtained from WaterAid Nigeria indicates that 45,000 children under the age of five die annually from diarrhea, a disease caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation, out of the over 130 million Nigerians without access to water and 57 million that cannot access safe water.People in the rural areas and the poor are the worst hit, constituting a major concern without access to safe water amidst the fears associated with steady population growth.Indeed, the failure of the Millennium Development Goals-MDGs- to meet the ten year target of US$2.613 billion in total and $201 million annual water investment makes it imperative for another intervention in the sector.Perhaps it was in appreciation of this that the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to prioritising the water sector.When Engr. Suleiman Adamu took charge of the Ministry of Water Resources in November 2015, the Water Roadmap for realizing the Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030 was initiated and subsequently adopted as long-term measures to tackle deficits in the sector and draw plans to ensure consistent interventions and investments in water and sanitation for the period.The Sustainable Development Goals is the Development Agenda planned by world leaders to eradicate poverty leading the world to a resilient pathway where no one is left behind. The agenda consists of 17 goals but Goal 6 of its agenda, particularly referred canvassed ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.In the Road Map, the Water policy of Government was designed to complete the draft National Water Resources Policy and National Water Resource Bill; Organisation and Manpower Review of the Ministry with the intention of reposition it; projects identifications and implementations in the order of their priorities; development and implementation of a National Irrigation Development Programme to boost agriculture and food security.In addition, the ministry seeks to identify dams with Hydro Electric Power potential; this is in line with the inter-ministerial initiatives for renewable energy for power generation and boost to the national grid.Also, national water supply and sanitation programme to attain SDG were mapped out, as well as development of a blueprint and action plan meant to strengthen the River Basin Development Authorities.Basically, inability to attain reasonable implementation of set goals; either in the MDG or the SDG are tied to funding. In view of this, the Ministry craves partnership with relevant agencies towards identifying and building synergies for alternative funding, partnering with states, local governments and international development partners.The Minister inherited 116 uncompleted projects across the country. There were 37 dams and 41 water supply schemes while 38 were related to irrigation and drainage. After a retreat and critical evaluation, priorities were assigned each project based on their stages and completion time, costs, predicted impacts on citizens, age of neglect, overall visibility and availability of funds as criteria for their completion.As a result, 38 of the projects; 10 irrigation and drainage, 13 dams and 15 water supply projects were singled out for completion while the rest were placed under future considerations.Going forward, it is expected that 71,873Ha additional irrigation area would be added to the irrigable area, 887,971 direct jobs would be created, 252,921 tons of cereals and grains would be produced, 620,400 metres treated water per day would be supplied while 13.5 million additional population would benefit from access to portable water at the completion of these projects.The Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, 2016-2030 launched in November 2016 by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, is a multi-sector synergy agenda to address the challenges of inadequate water and poor sanitation among rural dwellers and small towns and improve sanitation that would eradicate open defecation.PEWASH is divided into three phases, starting with the 2016-2020 phase which would cost N108 and N72 billion; the second phase2021-2025 will gulp N130 and N86 billion and the last phase, N147 and N97 billions of water provision and sanitation respectively.At the end of the exercise, it is projected that 13,110 of water projects and 10,100 toilets with annual installed capacities of 2,623 water supply systems would be added to each phase.In order to address the agricultural and food security needs, the roadmap is planned to assist in the National Food Security by completing many River Basin projects for increased farming activities to grow food and create jobs. Adebayo contributed this piece from Area 11, Abuja.
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