By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness and Campaign (LAC) , a voluntary think-tank group of the governing party, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has identified 116 inherited projects for priority completion.
This disclosure was made in a statement issued yesterday by the Director General of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Moh Lukman, former National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lanre Issa-Onilu, youths representative in the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Ismail Ahmed, and Tolu Ogunlesi.
The group said Buhari administration inherited dozens of projects in the water sector, many of which had been abandoned prior to 2015, adding that a technical audit reveals the projects to include: 37 Dams and Reservoirs, 41 Water Supply Projects, 38 Irrigation and Drainage Projects.
APC LAC said with the same relentless focus being applied to building and completing rail, road and aviation projects, these water sector projects are receiving increased federal attention and investment, with groundbreaking results being achieved so far.
The statement said “In line with the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s focus on Infrastructure, the completion of dams, water supply and irrigation projects are being prioritized.
“Since 2016, twelve (12) Dams have been completed by the Buhari Administration spread across eleven (11) states, as follows: Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam, Taraba; Ogwashi-Uku Multipurpose Dam, Delta; Adada Dam, Enugu; Sulma Earth Dam, Katsina; Gimi Earth Dam, Kaduna; Amla-Otukpo Dam, Benue; Amauzari Earth Dam, Imo; Ibiono-Ibom Earth Dam, Akwa Ibom; Gadau/Lafia Zigau Dam, Bauchi; Alajue Small Earth Dam, Osun; Kampe Omi Dam, Kogi (Rehabilitation) and Kargo Dam, Kaduna (Rehabilitation). Another eight (8) dam projects, eight (8) hydropower projects, sixteen (16) irrigation projects, and eleven (11) Water Supply Projects are scheduled for completion by 2023.
“Three (3) Hydropower Projects have also been completed, as follows: Gurara Hydropower Project, 30MW, Kaduna State – completed and concessioned in 2020; Kashimbila Hydropower Project, 40MW, Taraba, now ready for concessioning; and the Dadin-Kowa Hydropower Project, 40MW, Gombe, which has been completed, and is now feeding into the National Grid.
“In the area of irrigation, seven (7) projects have been fully completed, with another two partly completed (sectoral completion). In addition, thirty (30) of the forty-one (41) priority Water Supply Projects inherited by the Administration have now been completed; the very first one to be completed being the Central Ogbia Regional Water Supply Project in Bayelsa State, in September 2016, and the most recent being the Zobe and Kazaure Water Supply Projects in Katsina and Jigawa States, in July 2021”.
It listed other completed Water Supply Projects across the country to include: “the Northern Ishan Regional Water Supply Project and the Ojirami Dam, Water Supply Scheme and Reticulation Network, both in Edo State; Sabke, Dutsi and Mashi Water Supply Project in Katsina State; Vom Water Supply Project and Mangu Regional Water Supply Scheme in Plateau State; Takum Water Supply Project in Taraba State;
The group said the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) are being revitalized under the Buhari administration, to enable them fully serve the purpose for which they were established.
“These RBDAs have collectively built 42 small dams in their catchment areas, and efforts are on to collaborate with State Governments to fully utilize these dams. The RBDAs have also leased 253 farmlands to the private sector for commercial agriculture, according to the Ministry of Water Resources; 181 of these farmlands are already being fully utilized. Partial Commercialization has also commenced at four of the RBDAs, as part of the Administration’s efforts to ensure greater private sector involvement in the management and utilization of national infrastructure.
“In the area of Sanitation, President Buhari signed Executive Order 9 on November 20, 2019, in support of the Administration’s efforts to end Open Defecation across the country. So far, 62 Local Government Areas across 12 States of the country have been certified Open Defecation Free.
