Sanwo-Olu: We’re committed to protecting our water resources, completion of Adiyan II Water Project

.Approves hike in BRT fare by N100 from July 13

IBRAHIM QUADRI

Lagos State, Mr. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday said the State Government is committed to protecting its water resources in order to make portable clean water available and accessible for Lagosians.

He said the goal of his administration to unlock a new wave of investments in Nigeria’s water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, is primarily to delivering potable water and providing safely managed sanitation services for all Lagosians.

The Governor said his administration is currently at the final stage of completing the Adiyan II Water Project, which will be the second-largest water infrastructure in Lagos State.

He said Lagos State Government has committed huge resources to the water project.

Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke at the third edition of the Lagos International Water Conference, (LIWAC) 2022 held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island. The theme of the conference was “Unlocking Investments and Sustainable Access to Clean Water and Sanitation Services: The Regulatory Imperative.”

He said the Lagos State Government has acknowledged that financing the water sector has been a challenge and is therefore shopping for private sector investments, noting that currently, most of the financing for water and sanitation comes from public budget and donor financing, hence the Call-for-Action to the private sector to explore the huge opportunities that abound in the water supply and sanitation services sub-sector in Lagos, to deliver value while also enjoying commercial gains.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said now is the right time to unlock a new wave of investments in the WASH sector against the background of global disruptions in the water sector occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and intensifying impact of climate change.

He said: “Water is critical, not just for the sustenance of human life, but also for sustainable development. It is essential for all kinds of economic activities, such as agriculture, energy production, mining, manufacturing, and so on.

“We need to make clean and safe water available for our teeming population, and to ensure that even as that population grows there are strategies in place to ensure conservation in the long term. Our goal is primarily to deliver potable water and provide safely managed sanitation services for all Lagosians. We have the political will and a groundswell of support from critical stakeholders, and we welcome you to open up lines of engagement and conversation with us.

“For us in Lagos, we acknowledge that financing for the water sector has been a challenge. According to a World Bank study (2015), bridging the financing gap in Nigeria’s WASH sector will require an estimated USD1.3 billion per year over the next decade, with State-owned water utilities requiring about US$600 million in annual investment.

“Currently, most of the financing for water and sanitation comes from public budget and donor financing, hence this Call-for-Action to the private sector to explore the myriad of opportunities that abound in the water supply and sanitation services sub-sector in Lagos, to deliver value while also enjoying commercial gains.”

Also, Lagos State, the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved a flat rate increase by N100 in bus fares for all Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Standard routes, commencing on July 13.

With the increase, a bus ride from Ikorodu – TBS will now cost N600 from N500 while Berger to Ajah is now N700, up from N600. Oshodi to Abule Egba will cost N450 from N350 and Abule-Egba-CMS-Obalende will attract a fare of N600.

According to a statement signed by Assistant Director, Corporate Communication, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Kolawole Ojelabi, “the increase, which will come into effect on Wednesday, 13 July 2022, is aimed at ensuring sustainability of the BRT and standard route schemes.

“Operations of the transport scheme, of late, had been hampered due to rising cost of inputs required for sustainable service offering and the attendant high number of buses out of operation as a result of lack of spare parts.

“For instance, the exponential increase in the pump price of diesel from N187 to N830/litre between August 2020 and June, 2022, had greatly affected optimal performance of the bus operating companies leading to the withdrawal of buses from operation and longer waiting time at bus stations.

“The Governor in consenting to the fare increase also approved a proposal for a bail out for the bus operating companies in other to cushion the effect of the harsh operating environment and safeguard private partnership investment and forestall the demise of formalized bus operations in the state.

“In view of the economic situation, the government is also providing support for the Bus Operating Companies in view of the continuous increase in fuel price. This is to ensure that the increase to the passenger is kept to a minimum.

“The fare increase notwithstanding, government noted that whatever support this would provide to the operators, it would still not cover the cost of fueling, thus likely to put the continued survival of the bus operations on a tight rein.

“The Governor also approved the appeal by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) for the conversion of the current diesel buses in operation to the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and a shift to different economically viable and environmentally friendly mobility energy solution that are cost efficient and maximize operations cost such as Electric vehicles, hydrogen buses and the development of hybrid energy sources as alternative fueling for the current Bus Reform Initiative (BRI) buses.”

According to the request, “These measures are indispensable in the current global economic and environmental reality to ensure the sustainability of the BRI operation.”