Sanwo-Olu: Enough of rhetorics, 70 million Adiyan water project to be completed in 18 months

IBRAHIM QUADRI

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday made a fresh promise to complete the 70 million-gallon per day Adiyan Water Project which had been abandoned for a number of years, saying the years of rhetorics are over.

Sanwo-Olu made the charge at the 5th Edition of the Lagos International Water Conference at Eko Hotel, Lagos where he noted that the project would have to be completed in the next one year.

With the theme, ‘Financing Water & Sanitation For a Greater Lagos,’highlights the crucial importance of financial resources in achieving the goals of water security, accessibility, and sustainability.

Sanwo-Olu said, “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 partnership, let us identify what needs to be done.

“Whatever that will take us, we are going to complete 7 million gallons per day of Adiyan water treatment plant. If I’m making myself as an example, I’m 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.”

Speaking as a special guest of honour at the event, the minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev said Lagos being a mini Nigeria requires that she must get right, noting “If Lagos gets it right, Nigeria will get it right.”

He added, “Lagos has its challenges when it comes to water sanitation. Water is not just a basic need but also crucial to healthy living.

“Lagos faces multi-facetted challenges as regard water sanitation as a result of rapid population growth and infrastructural chalenges.”

The minister stated that in ddressing these challenges it requires concerted efforts and innovative strategies.

He advised for a community based and private partnership to address the water sanitation challenges, saying micro finance institutions could provide loans in this regard.

He also urged the state government to align with the federal government in its afforts to ensure water sanitation in the state.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab said the conference served as a platform to come together, share knowledge, and explore innovative solutions to address the challenges on sustainable water management.

The Commissioner noted, “As the population of Lagos continues to grow, the demand for water resources escalates, placing significant pressure on our existing infrastructure and systems. It is imperative that we find sustainable and innovative ways to finance and manage our water resources to meet the needs of our growing population.

“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 Moduls, such as public private partnerships, sustainable financing strategies, and innovative technology solutions that can help us overcome the financial barriers.

While urging participants to actively engage in the discussions, Wahab stated, $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.”

|n her welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Mrs Funke Adepoju said, “Over the next two days, we will engage in insightful discussions and deliberate on innovative financing models and strategies. These conversations are crucial and intentional for Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration as we seek to achieve sustainable development in the water and sanitation sector and ensure that every resident of Lagos has access to these essential services.

She added, “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.