Utsev becoming Water resources and Sanitation Minister
It is exactly one year today since Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, was sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to drive the administration’s vision for the water resources and sanitation sector.
For obvious reasons, Professor Utsev’s appointment as Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation attracted applause from many Nigerians given his rich service background as a Professor of Water Engineering having served as Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment in Benue State, Executive Director Engineering at Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority and Pioneer Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Wannune.
Conscious of the presidential deliverables which include achieving food security, ending poverty and hunger, enhancing economic growth and job creation among others, Professor Utsev immediately hit the ground running with enthusiasm and commitment to deliver on his mandate.
In keeping with the dictate of his profession that every project execution must be preceded by proper planning, the Minister, alongside the Minister of State, Barrister Bello Goronyo, embarked on a nationwide tour of the twelve River Basin Development Authorities to get first-hand information about their conditions and plan for their effective deployment for the realisation of set goals.
Tour by Water resources and Sanitation Minister across the country
The tour afforded the Minister and his team the opportunity to interact with management and staff of the River Basins and other parastatals during which he intimated them of the presidential mandate to put the five hundred thousand hectares of irrigable lands in their care to immediate use to address the compelling need to ensure food sufficiency in the country.
Recognising that food security cannot be achieved without functional dams and irrigation facilities, Professor Utsev promptly met with contractors handling various dam irrigation projects and water schemes and directed them to work harder and complete their projects on schedule or have their contracts revoked and rewarded to more competent hands.
One year achievements of Water resources Minister
One year after, the purposeful and pragmatic leadership style of Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev has shown clearly that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not make a mistake in appointing this water engineering expert to pilot the water and sanitation ministry.
With the innovative and proactive approach of the Minister, several dams and water schemes across the country have been completed and commissioned, and are today being used for irrigation farming, including the Rafin Yashin Multipurpose Dam in Niger State, Lessel Dam in Benue State and Odo Ape Dam in Kogi State.
Similarly, the Ogbese Dam in Ekiti State, Adada Dam in Enugu State, Ingawa-Dallaje Dam in Katsina State, and Mango Dam in Plateau State are at between seventy and ninety percent completion while the procurement process has been completed for the construction of thirteen new dams and eight irrigation projects this year.
In addition, work is progressing steadily on the Adarice Irrigation project in Enugu, Bakalori irrigation project in Zamfara, Dadin-Kowa irrigation project in Gombe and the rehabilitation of lower Ogun irrigation project in Ogun State.
It is also worthy to note that within one year of Professor Utsev’s stewardship, the Tinubu Administration has constructed ninety eight water schemes through Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene, PEWASH, programme to serve over one hundred and twenty thousand communities in Delta, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Gombe, Benue, Kwara and Katsina States.
It is equally on record that within the last one year, a good number of solar powered water schemes have also been completed, commissioned and are being used by the beneficiary communities in Kano, Borno, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Sokoto, Cross River, Benue, Niger and Jigawa States.
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The Ministry under Professor Utsev has also scaled up the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet campaign thus leading to twenty five additional local governments attaining Open Defecation Free status, bringing the total ODF local governments in the country to one hundred and twenty six while
Many other local governments across the country are in the process of being certified ODF soon.
Within the one year period under review, blocks of sanitation and hygiene facilities were constructed in eight states including Lagos, Sokoto, Ekiti, Bauchi, Benue, Adamawa, Gombe and Kogi.
Also, concerted efforts are being made to achieve the 2025 ODF targets through meetings with Governors, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to scale up sensitisation of citizens and engage with the private sector to leverage investment opportunities in the sanitation value chain under safely managed sanitation initiatives, in collaboration with UNICEF.
Water Resources Minister partnership drive
Aside projects execution, Professor Utsev has been able to strengthen the collaboration with development partners such as the World Bank, UNICEF, states and local governments as well as his colleague ministers in the line ministries like the Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security, Environment, Budget, and Finance among others as a deliberate effort to achieve the food security agenda of the administration and increase access to safe potable water for every Nigerian.
Today, these initiatives have improved the living conditions of citizens as many youths and women are now gainfully employed through irrigation farming and sanitation services being provided in communities.
With the enthusiasm and firm commitment exhibited so far by Professor Utsev to transform the water and sanitation sector, it is clear that Professor Utsev is on track in furthering the Tinubu Administration’s determination to ensure that every Nigerian citizen has access to clean and safe water and improved sanitation services.
Read: Key Achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s One Year in Office
There is therefore the urgent need for all citizens to continue to pray and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his cabinet members who have thus far demonstrated strong commitment to meeting the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians by turning the country into a more prosperous nation.
Written by Terhemen Oraduen .
Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation.
