Ekiti State Government has commenced plans to ensure investment in alternative sources of energy beyond the conventional sole dependence on the national grid to get water pumped from dams for the consumption of people in the State.
The State Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, who made this known in Ado Ekiti during a courtesy visit of the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources at the Mid-Term-Review Mission of the Sustainable Urban, Rural Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Program, reiterated the commitment of the State Government to the success of the program and ensuring accessibility to Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation.
Prof. Aluko explained that the Mid-Term-Review was organized to address the gaps and restructuring of the program, adding that the focus was to accelerate the process in order to promptly achieve its objectives.
Aluko said that “the Mid- Term Review was to review and evaluate the progress made so far, revalidate, prepare an action plan ahead and agree on restructuring and proposed adjustments to the program for the remaining years of implementation”.
He highlighted the achievements recorded in the program so far to include: construction and rehabilitation of 64 Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) standard water and toilet facilities in 2023 as well as the recent rehabilitation of 121 boreholes. 110 WASH facilities in schools and health centers, as well as five major water schemes have also been approved.
Stressing Governor Biodun Oyebanji passion about the SURWASH program which is a state government Program for Results (P-for-R) loan scheme in collaboration with the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Aluko assured that no stone would be left unturned to ensure its success.
One of the World Banks Officials, Dr. Victor Osei Kwadwo, stressed the need for more collaboration among the Implementing Agencies and the State Program Implementation Units (SPIU) of the program towards achieving the desired result.