Akwa Ibom State is intensifying its drive to expand access to safe water, improve sanitation and eliminate open defecation by 2030, with the government targeting 369 solar-powered water schemes across the state.
Commissioner for Water Resources and Sanitation, Hon Ubuo Ubuo said the administration of Governor Umo Eno was moving the sector beyond isolated water projects to a comprehensive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) system anchored on policy, regulation, infrastructure, community ownership and sustainable service delivery.
The Commissioner for Water Resources And Sanitation, who made this known during a Ministerial Press Briefing in Uyo, identified the State WASH Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and open-defecation-free roadmap as major institutional reforms introduced to reposition the sector.
The Commissioner also highlighted the Water Users Association Law, which he said would strengthen community participation in the management of water and irrigation facilities while qualifying the state to benefit from the Federal Government’s SPIN irrigation and dam development programme.
At the infrastructure level, government has completed several solar-powered water and treatment projects in communities across the state and is preparing to roll out 369 ward-based water schemes.
The Commissioner said site selection and technical preparations had been concluded, while procurement had commenced, with the project expected to be completed within the 12-month timeframe set by the Governor.
For urban water supply, the recently completed Water Supply and Sanitation Investment and Master Plan provides government with an assessment of the condition of ageing water infrastructure and a roadmap for rehabilitation, new investment and sustainable financing.
The plan targets reliable public water supply for Uyo and emerging urban communities around the metropolis by 2031.
On sanitation, the Ministry is pursuing an aggressive community-based approach towards ending open defecation by 2030, with WASH coordinators trained across all 31 local government areas and four local government areas selected as pilot areas for the certification process.
The state is also tightening regulation of packaged drinking water production and collaborating with relevant agencies and manufacturers to eliminate unqualified operators and protect consumers from unsafe water.
The Commissioner said WASH interventions were already producing measurable results, with access to improved water sources rising from 34.8 to 78.5 per cent, sanitation from 29.3 to 71.2 per cent, proper handwashing from 47.5 to 82.6 per cent, and household water treatment from 24.7 to 69 per cent.
He attributed the reported decline in diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera cases partly to improved access to safe water and sanitation.
The overall objective, he stressed, is to ensure that water and sanitation facilities are not only constructed but remain functional, sustainable and capable of delivering lasting public-health benefits.
