Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has made a fresh promise to complete the 70 million-gallon-per-day Adiyan Water Project which had been abandoned for several years, vowing that the years of rhetorics were over.
Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance while speaking at the 5th Edition of the Lagos International Water Conference, themed: “Financing Water & Sanitation For a Greater Lagos,” which took place at Eko Hotel, Lagos, saying that the project would have to be completed in the next one year.
The governor, while highlighting the crucial importance of putting in place financial resources in achieving the goals of water security, accessibility, and sustainability, assured that for his administration, it was not just about lip service, but the resolve to move away from rhetorics and into action.
“For us, it is not just about lip service. We want to move away from rhetorics, we want action. Let it not be just a talk shop where we exchange ideas and nothing happens in the next one year.
“We have been training our officials and that has not given solutions. Let’s stop this rhetoric. We want to build a partnership, let us identify what needs to be done.
“Whatever that will take us, we are going to complete 70 million gallons per day of Adiyan water treatment plant. If I’m making myself as an example, am looking for partners. It has always been proposals, we need people that are committed.
“Water does not have enemies but unfortunately we are the enemies of water. I’m hoping the conversation we are having here today and tomorrow will be a convergence working solutions. In the next 12 to 18 months, we want to change the narrative,” the governor stated.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, who was Special Guest of Honour at the event, said Lagos being a mini-Nigeria required that she must get right, adding: “If Lagos gets it right, Nigeria will get it right.”
The minister, however, noted that Lagos had various challenges when it comes to water sanitation due to rapid population growth and infrastructural challenges, but said that addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts and innovative strategies.
He, therefore, urged for a community-based and private partnership to address the water sanitation challenges, saying microfinance institutions could provide loans in this regard.
He also urged the state government to align with the Federal Government in its efforts to ensure water sanitation in the state.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in his own remark, said the conference served as a platform to come together, share knowledge, and explore innovative solutions to address the challenges of sustainable water management.
The commissioner posited that it was imperative sustainable and innovative ways to finance and manage the state’s water resources was sought to meet the needs of the growing population, which he said was “placing significant pressure on our existing infrastructure and systems.”
“We recognize that adequate financing is essential to improve water infrastructure, strengthen governance frameworks, promote water conservation, and enhance the resilience of our water systems in the face of climate change and other challenges.
“During the course of this conference, we have the opportunity to learn from experts, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world who have successfully implemented innovative financing mechanisms for water management.
“We will explore various Models, such as public-private partnerships, sustainable financing strategies, and innovative technology solutions that can help us overcome the financial barriers,” Wahab stated.
The Commissioner, while urging participants to actively engage in the discussions, stated that “together, we can explore new avenues for financing, identify best practices, and build partnerships that will pave the way for a greater Lagos.”
“Let us use this conference as a platform to not only discuss financing mechanisms but also to address broader issues related to water governance, capacity building, and community engagement.
“We must ensure that our actions are inclusive, participatory, and equitable, leaving no one behind in our pursuit of water security,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Mrs Funke Adepoju, in her welcome address, said the conference would over the next two days, engage in insightful discussions and deliberate on innovative financing models and strategies.
According to her, these conversations are crucial and intentional for Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration in seeking to achieve sustainable development in the water and sanitation sector and ensure that every resident of Lagos has access to these essential services.
“In setting new benchmarks for progress, our specific objectives include developing innovative financing models to achieve sustainable water and sanitation solutions in Lagos, creating a comprehensive WASH framework that includes private service providers and harnesses local private investment through targeted PPP models, and fostering collaboration and partnerships to ensure effective implementation of these strategies.
“A robust and effective regulatory framework is critical to realize these objectives. At this point, it is essential to note that the nature of the water and sanitation sector requires implementing a pragmatic regulatory framework with high-level political championship and support.
“This provides the enabling framework and, not least, credibility and certainty to a sector in dire need of more resources from both the public and private sectors and, perhaps significantly, an assurance of better and effective use of the existing resources,” LASWARCO boss stated.
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