Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, said he has secured credit facilities worth $161.2m to revive two water schemes in the state for the purpose of boosting water supply to six local government areas.
Governor Akeredolu said the credit facilities were gotten from French Development Agency (AFD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to him, the state got $58m from AFD and another $104.2m from the AFDB to rehabilitate the abandoned Owena Multipurpose Dam and the Owena-Ondo Road Water Supply Scheme.
Speaking at the flagging of the rehabilitation project, Akeredolu said the dams would provide water to six local government areas of Akure South, Akure North, Idanre, Ondo East, Ifedore and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo.
He said his administration has increased access to potable water to 17.6% as against the 4% that he inherited in 2017.
His words, “One of the largest dams in Nigeria, the Owena Multipurpose Dam is located in our State. You are equally aware that this Multipurpose Dam had been abandoned for a relatively long period of time. Also, the Ondo-Owena Water Supply Scheme, along Ondo Road, had been dysfunctional for a long time.
“In his remarks, Director General, AFDB, Nigeria, Lamin Barrow, said the Akure Water Sanitation Project is expected to yield significant development benefit to the residents, providing potable water for 24 hours.