Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, on Thursday commissioned the Ilorin Metropolitan Water Network Project as part of efforts to provide clean and affordable water to the citizenry.

Gov Ahmed at the commissioning ceremony held at Agaka area of Ilorin announced that the project would serve Eastern Reservoir to Oja Oba, Eastern Reservoir to Taiwo Road, Western Reservoir to Sobi, Maraba to A Division, and Baboko Market to Abdulazeez Attah Road.

Others, according to the governor are Taiwo Isale to St. John Church, Government High School to Abdulazeez Attah Road, Oja Oba to Oloje, Abdulazeez Attah to Taiwo Isale, Basin Road to Mayode Hotel and Umaru Audi to Jebba Road.

Gov Ahmed who acknowledged that the previous administration implemented the first phase of the project which was partly financed under the N17 billion bond facility obtained by the state government in 2009 noted that the network is supplemented with standpipes at 130 different locations across Ilorin Metropolis.

According to the governor, “The Ilorin Water Distribution Network was implemented at the cost of N6.5b, funded partly through the N17b bond, a commercial bank facility and the Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund (IFK). With today’s commissioning, 48,000 homes located along the following routes will now enjoy clean and affordable water.

“With the completion of this phase, it is safe to say that we have recorded significant milestones in our effort to ensure that every resident has access to water within a 500-meter radius. This project also takes us closer to achieving one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) no. 6 which aims to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by the year 2030,” Dr Ahmed disclosed.

The governor assured residents of Ilorin that arrangements are at advanced stages to award the contract for 310km Tertiary Reticulation Network which will expand the Water Supply coverage in Ilorin to 105,000 households.

He maintained that his administration had worked hard to reduce water supply accessibility and availability gaps in the state through infrastructure provision and renewal.

Governor Ahmed added that projects implemented under the scheme include waterworks in Share/Tsaragi, Oyun, Obbo Aiyegunle, Elesinmeta, Pepele, Zambufu, Gbugbu and several others across the state.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Alh. Yusuf Abdulkadir, restated the commitment of the present administration to provide clean and affordable water to the citizenry.

In his remarks, the Consultant in charge of the Project, Prof. Adeyemi, explained that the project consists of 110km of new pipelines while the next intervention is the tertiary distribution network that will get potable water directly to various homes.

• Kwara State Governor Ahmed, at the commissioning of Ilorin Water Distribution Network

Update news