The Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, has disclosed that the immediate past administration left 116 ongoing and abandoned irrigation and water projects.
Adamu also disclosed that the past administration left liabilities of N89 billion.
Speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, on Sunday, the Minister said: “In the ministry itself, when we came in, we inherited 116 ongoing and abandoned projects and we had a liability of N89 billion that is what we had inherited.
“That was a serious problem, 38 done irrigation projects and over 40 water supply projects. Obviously, in four years there is no way we can finish them.
“Some projects have been started as way back in 1987. Some projects were abandoned in 2000 and we have only been able to revive them.
“When this administration came into office and from opinions that we got from stakeholders in the water sector, it is a sector that has been in crisis.
“Recent survey indicated that according to the indices or parameter of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we have attained 69 per cent coverage in terms of water supply.”
Adamu described the figure as dismal because over 50 million of Nigerian population under the MDGs were still not covered and the target for MDGs was 75 per cent “we only achieved 69 per cent’’.
“If we applied those indices to the parameter set by new Sustainable Development Goals we are actually nowhere, the statistics is so dismal.
“One of the diagnostic reports we got last year indicated that in 1992, 30 per cent Nigerian population enjoyed pipe borehole water but it declined to seven per cent in 2015.
“This was what led us to series of discussions, retreats and consultations leading to the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari declaring the state of emergency on water and sanitation.”
