13th April, 2017
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it was determined to provide access to potable water to residents of the State.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Lagos Water Corporation, Engr. Muminu Adekunle Badmus gave this assurance at a news conference in Ijora area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
He said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had employed a pragmatic approach in solving the problem of water demand gap, and ensured that Lagos was water-crisis free in the future.
Badmus explained that “a great number of projects have been embarked upon to increase the production and expansion of reticulation across the State.”
“The State has completed arrangement to urgently embark on massive rehabilitation of 48 mini-water works across Lagos State to increase production and boost water supply. These waterworks include, Surulere, Onikan, Lekki, Badore, Ajagbandi, Ikeja, Ikate, Ikorodu, Epe, Victoria Island Annex, Bariga, Oworonshoki, Ijora-Badia, Apapa, Iponri, Oshodi, Ikoyi, among others.
“When completed, these will boost water supply to that axis. Also, there is ongoing rehabilitation exercise at our major Waterworks of Iju, Adiyan and Akute Intakes for efficient service delivery in Lagos State.
“The Lagos State has placed much priority on water sector, as part of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode Tripod Agenda for Lagos prosperity, and highly committed to ensuring that water gets to everyone in the State,” he said.
Badmus added that as part of this present administration’s renewed efforts to keep pace with the growth of water demand, Mosan-Okunola mini-waterworks (2 Million Gallons per Day, MGD) was recently commissioned, while Ishasi Waterworks had just been upgraded to produce 4(MGD).
“The Otta-Ikosi regional Water scheme of 4 (MGD) capacities is currently supplying over 10 communities in Agbowa /Ikorodu area of the State. Other programmes and Projects include: the on-going construction of Adiyan Phase II of 70MGD, and when the reticulation is completed, it will serve 3 million residents of Lagos State.
“The current rehabilitation and expansion projects going on in different parts of Lagos involve replacement of pipes and mains expansion to boost water supply. Some of the benefiting communities include: Surulere, Itire, Yaba/Ebute-Metta, Iwaya and Victoria Island,” he stated.
He also said the state government, through the corporation had approved the construction of 100MGD Odomola Water scheme to serve Epe , Ibeju – Lekki, Badore, Victoria Island, Onikan and other communities in that Axis.
Badmus said the project would be executed on Public-Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement, explaining that the PPP initiative was entirely different from privatization, saying that if it was privatization, “it is total divestment, but PPP is an injection of fresh funds into government’s facilities from private investors, and it is not profit driven, but a long-term investment that will guarantee protection of Lagosians’ interest”.
He further said the corporation had embarked on the installation of pre-paid meters in Lekki and Ikeja, while additional 15,000 units would be deployed to Surulere, Itire, Yaba/ Ebute-Meta, Iwaya, Victoria Island, Victoria Island Annex and Lekki.
“We have also deployed Nodal meters into the distribution networks for efficiency and management of water supply in different parts of Lagos and the meters will be fitted with telemetry devices for real time remote monitoring and management,” he said.
He disclosed that efforts were being geared towards improvement and reform of water supply services in the State, adding that the corporation had advertised for consultancy services for development of electronic Lagos Water Assets Management System that would be mapped in a Geographical Information System (GIS) to improve operational efficiency and management of water supply system and other facilities.
Badmus further said that Imeke-Iworo, Surulere, Ishasi and Abule-Egba mini-waterworks would soon be commissioned as part of the programmes of the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the State.
He urged the residents of the State to be patient as the corporation was working assiduously to ensure that water got to every home and that there would be excess water supply when the facilities were running at the optimal capacity.