The Federal Government is finalising updates of the national database on water supply and sanitation for all states in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, has said.
According to the minister, the finalised database would contain household survey on access to water supply and sanitation across the country.
Adamu spoke during a workshop on the third national urban water sector reform project launch and state water agencies performance assessment held in Abuja.
He said, “Our ministry is currently finalising the update of the national database on water supply and sanitation facilities, as well as household survey on access to water supply and sanitation. These pools of data will be hosted in the National Water Resources Data Bank that will serve as a repository of data and information for all water resources in our ministry.
“It is my hope that the performance data of water agencies will also come into the databank and I wish to assure stakeholders in the sector that we will make efforts to strengthen and sustain this initiative.”
Explaining the objectives of the National Water Sector Reform Project, Adamu stated that it was designed not only to fix water infrastructure but also the institutions and people that were in-charge of them.
“This is because we need to assist our water agencies to get out of their stagnation cycle of poor services, dissatisfied customers, low revenue, weak finances, neglect of maintenance and assets deterioration,” he added.
Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta, spoke on the importance of data gathering and stressed that adequate collection of information would afford the various water agencies the opportunity to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses.
She said, “Accurate data collection is essential in maintaining the integrity of a system for adequate planning as well as for policy formulation and implementation. So a formal data gathering process is necessary for it ensures that data gathered are both defined and accurate, as subsequent decisions based on reasons embodied in the findings are valid.”
“it is on this note that our ministry places premium on this workshop as it will afford all the water agencies the opportunity to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses as a first step towards addressing them for enhanced service delivery to the citizens.”

www.punchng.com/35783-2/

Another nepa bill saga, building up