President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said Nigeria will need to invest about N350 billion annually to meet her water and sanitation targets.
The President who spoke at the opening of the two-day Presidential Summit on water, with the theme “Innovative Funding of the Water Sector” held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the situation whereby rural and sub-urban areas do not have access to clean water, is unacceptable.
He said in line with his administration’s transformation agenda, it had become necessary to implement a more cooperative, more radical programme of action to meet the nation’s Millennium Development Goals MDGs) target in this sector.
The President said for the nation to meet her MDGs, the federal and states must work together, insisting that a situation where a lot of money was spent to provide water but management becomes an issue, should no longer be tolerated.
He said, “Investments were made to boost various aspects of the sector, from the line budget and special funds dedicated to ecological matters and natural resources development and also through the repair and rehabilitation of water supply infrastructure. In 2011, we spent the total sum of N40.94billion. In 2012, the sum of N43.6 billion was spent. This does not include our expenditure in the following projects; Goronyo Dam – N3.4 billion; Kashimbila Dam – N38 billion; Gurara Dam & irrigation – N3 6billion; Ife Dam – N3 billion.
“In 2013, we have proposed N39 billion from line budget to be spent on water related projects. This will be in addition to funds the sector will receive from special intervention funds.”
The President expressed the hope that at the end of summit, they will consider how best to leverage resources with those of development partners and the international community to strengthen the effort towards meeting the set targets in 2015.
Source: CHANNELS TV News
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