The Kwara State Government has cautioned residents of the state against encroaching or blocking the waterways in order to avoid the risks of flooding and its devastating consequences.
The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Usman Yunusa Lade stated this at this year’s World Water Day, organized by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) and Organization of Private Sector (OPSWash).
The Commissioner said that illegal structures close to the waterways pose serious risks to human lives as most of it will sooner or later obstruct water movement.
Hon. Lade during the event also mentioned some of the interventions of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s towards improving on the water sector in State.
“The State, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AFDB) and Federal Ministry of Water of Resources and Sanitation, is currently working on an Urban Water and Sanitation Investment Master Plan to enhance water access in the State”
“He further reiterated the Government’s commitment in collaborating relevant stakeholders in the WASH sector which is also evident in the ongoing PWASH program and the UNICEF readiness to support the State Government in the Water Sector after about two decades of leaving the State” he added.
The event, which was held at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) , Ilorin, has as its theme, ‘Water for peace’.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant on Community Engagement to the Governor, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe said the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has come up with a new development strategy recently in the training and empowerment of youths on how to repair boreholes without waiting for the state government’s intervention.
Olohungbebe advised various communities in the state to consider some factors before drilling borehole in their area in order to avoid unnecessary risks to live and water pollution.
Sharing his view at the occasion, the Managing Director, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Dr. Adeniyi Aremu disclosed that his agency under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has its primary function of sustainability development of surface and underground water.
Aremu advised all stakeholders to come together to improve clean and potable water supply across the state.
Earlier, the President of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Engr. (Dr.) Adebisi Osim, represented by Engr. Nihinlola Olawuyi said that water plays a critical role in fostering harmony, stability, and prosperity in our communities and beyond.