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Tag: Sarah Ochekpe

  • Kashambila dam will benefit 400,000 people – Minister

    Kashambila dam will benefit 400,000 people – Minister

    The Minister for Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe has said more than 400,000 Nigerians will benefit from portable water supply after the completion of the Kashambila dam in Taraba state.

    Ochekpe gave this assurance Tuesday during her presentation at the Africa Focus Day, organized by the African Ministers Council on water (AMCON) at the 24th World Water Week in Stockholm Sweden. The multipurpose dam is fitted with a water treatment plant with the capacity to produce 600,000m3 per day.

    The minister said the multipurpose dam will bring enormous economic benefits to the people in the area as it will spring up massive economic activities in the area.

    “We expect that as different activities pick up there, the educational institutions would also emerge, banking facilities and other levels of business will come up. Definitely the economy of the area will not remain the same. One thing I can assure you is that, there will be rapid urbanization and halt rural urban migration,” she said.

    The Minister also revealed that about 8,000 Nigerians will benefit from irrigation aspect of the dam as the reservoir water has the capacity to irrigate 2,000 hectares of farmland. Also, five tons of fish will be harvested from the dam daily while the hydropower dam will have the capacity to produce 40 megawatts of electricity.

    The Kashambila dam was a pre-emptive response of the Nigerian government after the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) warned about the imminent collapse of the structurally deficient Lake Nyos in 2005.

    The collapse of the lake will affect at least six states in Nigeria including, Kogi, Benue, Taraba and Rivers while about 30 million Nigerians will be displaced.

    But the Minister assured that there is no need to fear as the government is taking necessary steps to contain whatever might result from the collapse of Lake Nyos.

    Ochekpe said the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has taken a pre-emptive step to avert a looming disaster by building the dam and also creating economic opportunities.

    She said the dam which costs $1billlion is fully financed by the Nigerian government. “This is a multipurpose dam that has several components including agriculture, fishing, power and tourism. About 450 people are currently employed there and with the water supply, about 400,000 people will benefit. Of course it means there will be improvements in the health status of the people, they would have enough time to engage in different activities,” Ochekpe added.

    The massive investment and multiple economic potentials of the dam became the reference point at the meeting with many countries on the continent praising the initiative and urging other countries to emulate.

    On issues of transparency, Ochekpe said:  “The records are there, we can get you to talk to the contractors and find out how much has been spent. When you see what is on the ground you will see that the cost is justified.”

    Meanwhile, Nigeria’s electricity generation may receive a boost with the completion of several more dams, primed to generate electricity. “We have assessed 19 smaller dams that have been constructed. We want to integrate hydropower components to increase power generation,” Ochekpe said.

  • 70% of Nigerians have access to portable water – Minister

    70% of Nigerians have access to portable water – Minister

    At least seventy percent of Nigerians have access to portable water supply for 24 hours in a day and seven days a week.

    The Minister for Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe stated this on Monday  at the sidelines of the 24th World Water Week  in Stockholm Sweden.
    She said Nigeria is abundantly blessed with enourmous water resources but that her ministry is still working towards ensuring that 100 percent of Nigerians have access to portable drinking water at all times.
    “From our own analysis about 70 percent of Nigerians have access to portable water. But our desire is to see that 100 percent of Nigerian  have access to portable water on a 24 hour bases and seven days a week,” Ochekpe disclosed.
    The World Water Week  which started as a research symposium in 1991, annually draws environmentalists, government officials, intergovernmental agencies, academics, civil society  activists and researchers together to fashion a way whereby affordable portable water will be available globally.
    This year’s theme: Water and Energy is to look at the interdependence of water and energy and how governments all over the world can ensure a balance between the increasing demand for energy and ability to continue to provide portable water supply for the world.
    President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirlief who is also the Grand patron of the Global water Partnership was billed to deliver the keynote address but was absent due to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in her country.
    In a prepared statement, Sirlief said there is an urgent need to address the issue of water and sanitation especially in the view of the outbreak of the EVD in West Africa.
    According to the World Bank, 2.8billion people live in areas of high water stress while 2.5 people have unreliable or no access to electricity.
    By 2035, the World Bank estimates that energy consumption will increase by 35 percent which will also drive up the demand for water by 85 percent, putting pressure in scarce water resources especially in the developing countries.
    But Ochekpe said while Nigeria is building many more dams to generate hydro power to complement what is derived from thermo and gas energy to boost electricity supply, there is a proportionate use of water for power generation. 
    She said water and power are interdependent as water is important in generating power.
    “Discussions are on to emphasize the importance between energy and water to show the two are important in global development, generally we need water generate energy and we are working on that,” she said.
    She emphazised that with the investment the Nigerian government is making on energy generation, Nigerians will soon witness significant growth in the economy.
    She revealed that her ministry is working  in collaboration with the Ministry of Power, Agriculture and Environment to see how Water and energy can be appropriately utilised without hurting  the other.
    However, the Minister maintained that despite campaigns in some quarters that African countries should not develop hydro Power technology, Nigeria will continue to pursue hydro Power as a solution to her energy crisis.
    She said while Nigeria is blessed with enourmous water Resources, the key is to effectively manage the use of water both for energy, agriculture and consumption.
    “Hydro power is clean and renewable energy, it is less expensive. I don’t think Nigeria will subscribe to that clamour not to do hydro power. We are blessed with a lot of water resources, what will we use the water resources for?
    “What is important is to be able to manage our water resources efficiently, to be able to spread the use in a way and manner that will not be deficient to some other parts, so far we are able to manage carefully the use of our water. The hydro power that we are generating is not much, so we haven’t gotten to that point of overuse of water resources or using more water to generate power at the expense of having water supply or using water for agriculture,” the Minister stated.

  • Ebola: FG takes hand washing campaign to parks, markets

    The Federal Government on Monday took its hand washing campaign and sensitization on Ebola virus to the markets and motor parks.

    The government visited the busy Wuse markets and the Jabi Motor parks in Abuja to create awareness on the dreaded disease.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, who spoke in pidgin urged the people to wash their hands constantly with soap and water.

    Ochekpe said the campaign became necessary in other to reduce the spread of the disease.

    She said the Ebola disease had become more deadly than HIV/ AIDS because of its high mortality rate.

    Ochekpe restated the commitment of the government to tackle the disease.

    The disease, she said, has brought sleepless nights to Nigerians.

    She urged the citizens to wash their hands constantly after contact with anything, adding that hand washing will save the people from troubles.

    She said the government will do everything possible to prevent the death of more Nigerians from Ebola.

    “If you don’t wash your hands, Ebola can come in contact with you. It can kill you, your family and an entire village,” she said.

    She called on the people to take hand washing seriously, urging them to keep their environments clean.

    Sanitation, according to the minister will save citizens from dying from disease.

  • FG seeks $1bn loan for irrigation, water supply

    The Federal Government on Monday said it will seek about $1billion loan from development partners to improve water supply and irrigation in the country.

    The loan, which will be sourced from the World Bank, African Development Bank, French Development Agency, European Union, USAID and Islamic Development Bank, will be put to use in 12 states and two River Basin Development Authorities.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, said this in Abuja at the 3rd Workshop on Performance Assessment, Benchmarking and Governance Issues of Water Agencies in Nigeria.

    Ochekpe, who was represented by the Director, Special Duties, office of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daniel Dauda, explained that the government had in 2004 got a loan of $1billion to boost infrastructure in 12 states.

    “The level of success being recorded in the implementation of the program has given us the confidence to plan and support the process of upscaling it to cover water supply and irrigation development in additional 12 states and two River Basin Development Authorities.

    “When the on-going process mature, additional facilities of about one billion dollars ($1billion) will be further sourced from the partners,” the minister said.

    She said the program will improve access to potable water supply by the citizens.

    According to her, the program will also enhance the performances of the state water agencies for sustainable service delivery.

    The government, she said, will monitor and evaluate the program closely to ensure service delivery and success.

     

  • FG vows to sanction MDs of RBDA

    FG vows to sanction MDs of RBDA

    THE Federal Government has threatened to sanction errant boards of various River Basin Development Authorities that fail to abide by stipulated operational mandates.

    The RBDA boards were inaugurated in May 2013 shortly after their reconstitution by the President in April.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, stated that the boards had failed to pursue the mandate of their respective appointments as contained in the Act setting up the RBDA, the transformation agenda of the Federal Government and other extant policies and procedures.

    She spoke at a retreat for RBDAs, boards and management organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Abuja.

    Ochekpe said: “Some of the reports I have been receiving indicate that the modalities, rules and procedures in the exercise of the mandate of the boards are being interpreted differently from one RBDA to the other.

    Ochekpe said several requests for urgent information on the operations of RBDAs required by the ministry and the Presidency were never responded to by the authorities as and when required.

    “Any RBDA that delays on the return of information beyond the stipulated deadline must be sanctioned and any MD or ED who travels out of his constituency coverage without the knowledge of the minister, permanent secretary or chairman of the board of the authority must also be sanctioned.

    “These sanctions could include suspension from office. I hope these directives are well taken, because sanctions will be applied whenever there is a default.”

     

  • Fed Govt to rehabilitate 30 dams

    The Federal Government has concluded plans to rehabilitate 30 dams to boost power supply.

    The dams, recommended by the Ministry of Water Resources, are expected to generate additional 147.60 mega watts to the existing power source.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, who spoke in Abuja, said access to electricity is put at 40 per cent.

    The minister, who was represented by the Director, Dams and Reservoir Operations in the ministry, Dr. Emmanuel Adanu, said while building dams in the past and recently for water supply and irrigation, the ministry constituted small hydro power plants in the construction processes.

    According to her, the ministry has partnered energy sectors to conduct studies on the proposed dams and engineering designs of the small hydro power schemes accompanying each of them.

    She said this was to serve project activities and generate electricity to rural communities, adding that the supply of water and energy were important to achieving sustainable national development.

    “In Nigeria, statistics have shown that only 40 per cent of the people have access to electricity, 60 per cent of the population have access to potable water, while access to sanitation is put at 41 per cent.

    “As part of the integrated river basin development, the ministry and some RBDAs, while building dams in the 1980’s and recently for water supply and irrigation, incorporated small hydro power plants to generate electricity to serve the project activities and a host of rural communities.

    “Based on the collaboration between the Water and Energy sectors, the Federal Ministry of Power conducted feasibility studies and engineering design of some of the small hydro power schemes mentioned above for rehabilitation and concession, to boost electricity supply.

    “No nation can develop without adequate supply of water and energy. Demand for water will continue to increase over the coming decades. The need for increased collaboration and cooperation between the agencies and stakeholders in the water and energy sectors can not be overemphasised.”

     

     

     

  • 70 million Nigerians lack safe water, says UNICEF

    70 million Nigerians lack safe water, says UNICEF

    EARLY 70 million Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said at the weekend.

    The Chief of Water and Sanitation sector, UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Kannan Nadar who was represented by Dr. Boluwaji Onalede WASH specialist, stated thus in Abuja at the 2014 World Water Day.

    She said a staggering 768 million people do not have access to safe drinking water worldwide, according to a joint report from UNICEF and the World Health Organisation(WHO) published in 2013.

    The report, according to her, placed Nigeria as the third country with most people without access to safe water.

    Onalede said with support from EU and UKAid, over 1.9 million people gained access to safe water in rural Nigeria in 2013 through its Water and Sanitation Hygiene school programme.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, called for collaborations with stakeholders and agencies to tackle the challenges of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

    Ochekpe, who was represented by the Director, Dam Operations Department in the Ministry, Dr. Emmanuel Adanu, said no nation can develop without adequate supply of water and energy.

    “We have over thirty dams in this country. The ministry of power conducted an engineering design of these dams. It is hoped that a total of about 147.60 mega watt will be generated from these dams,” the minister said.

     

    Also WaterAid Nigeria, an international agency, said about 112 million Nigerians lack access to basic sanitation and hygiene.

    Its Country Representative, Dr. Michael Ojo, added that Nigeria loses N455 billion annually to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.

    He called on government to increase budgetary allocation to the water sector to improve water service delivery.

    “We want to see that money go to the people who need it the most; the most vulnerable in our society. To ensure that the investment that is made go to those who need the services the most,” Ojo said.

     

  • FG, JICA collaborate on national water resources master plan

    The Federal Government has officially received the revised edition of Integrated National Water Resources Master Plan document from Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA).

    The document was developed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in partnership with the JICA.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, who received the National Water Resources Master Plan, has also inaugurated Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) team, a committee that would monitor the implementation of the master plan document.

    The first edition of the document was formulated by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and supported by the JICA (JICA) in 1995.

    The minister said that JICA commenced the review of the master plan document in August 2011 with progress reports one and two presented to the steering committee and other stakeholders during discussion and workshops.

    Ochekpe said that the final report of the document was a guide to all activities in the water sector not only at the federal level but also to states and local government areas, including all the private stakeholders in the water sector.

    Inaugurating the monitoring committee for implementation of the master plan, Ochekpe appealed to the members to take the assignment very seriously.

    The committee has 15 members with the director, Planning Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Laraba Bagaiya as chairman.

     

     

    The Chief Representative for JICA, Mr. Seki Tetsuo, said that the revised edition of the Master Plan marks the beginning of a new era in the water sector in Nigeria.

     

  • FG sets mechanism to control poisonous gas, flooding

    FG sets mechanism to control poisonous gas, flooding

    The federal government has put in place measures to control the threats of poisonous gas and flooding that may likely occur as a result of eruption from the weak volcanic Lake Nyos located along the line of volcanic activities in Cameroun.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, made this known while inspecting the Kashimbila multi- purpose Dam site.

    In anticipation of the environmental disaster that may accompany breakdown of the lake Nyos in Cameroun, which may push the poisonous water to Taraba, Benue, Cross River, Kogi and Delta States, the federal government has embarked on construction of buffer dam to accommodate the poisonous water.

    The dam is located between Kashimbila and Gomovo Towns on River Katsina Ala, Takum Local Government Area of Taraba state close to the country’s border with Cameroun.

    A statement by the ministry’s deputy director (Press), Mrs. Oyeboade Akinola, said the minister explained that the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam had an airstrip constructed to facilitate the evacuation of people in the area to a safe place if the lake eventually breaks before the Dam is completed.

    According to the minister, the airstrip will serve as an added infrastructure to support economic activities in the dam.

    She said: “When President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office, the project was about 10 per cent completion but today as we are standing here the dam is about 75 per cent completed and the President has made available sufficient fund to complete the project.”

    The chairman, Senate Committee on Water Resources, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, said that the National Assembly has been supporting the Kashimbila Dam project.

    He added that the project would be one of the landmark achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration when completed.

     

    He called on state governments to utilise completed Dams by providing treatment plants and reticulation of the water to the end users as well as make provision for irrigation.

  • N200m for women’s project

    N200m for women’s project

    The Federal Government has budgeted over N200 million for the take-off of the Girls and Women Initiative in Nigeria (G-WIN), Minister of Water Resources Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, has said.

    The minister said the ministry would provide sanitation facilities in public places (markets, motor parks and highways) in selected communities to reduce open defecation.

    Thirty participants from 19 states in the Northeast, Northwest and Northcentral would be trained in water management kiosk, community-led total sanitation (CLTS), facility operation, maintenance and health, water scheme operations and management, leadership and conflict resolution in the water sector.

    Mrs Ochekpe spoke in Abuja at the take-off of the Girls and Women Initiative in Nigeria.

    She said 30,000 people die daily across the world from water-borne illnesses while 1.5 billion others lack access to safe drinking water.

    The numbers, she said, represented a significant challenge for individuals, governments and businesses.

     

    According to her, the G-WIN will train 2,400 women and girls in procurement processes in water management to become entrepreneurs.

    Five ministries – Water Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, Communications, Works and Health – are expected to pilot the G-WIN project to train women and girls to enable them contribute to the economic development of the country.

    Mrs Ochekpe said: “The G-WIN project is an innovative approach adopted by the Federal Government and is aimed at opening access to life-changing opportunities for girls and women in diverse endeavours. The project will serve as a vehicle to effectively harness the potentials from this class of the society to sustainably support the transformation agenda of the government.

    “The strategy is to create jobs and generate wealth to alleviate poverty through the provision of water kiosks, public sanitation facilities and enhance the capacity of women and girls to own and upscale such facilities on an economic basis.

    “The G–WIN focuses on girls and women in Nigeria. The President wants to ensure that women participate actively in the processes of development in Nigeria. G–Win is focusing on five ministries, water resources is one of them. We want to train women to be leaders in water management. Women are the ones that use water the most especially in the household.

    “This programme is to give women an opportunity to actively participate in the construction of boreholes, the construction of simple water scheme, in managing the water scheme, sanitation and hygiene is a major challenge in Nigeria.

    “We are trying to let women know that they can help to improve the sanitation and hygiene condition of Nigeria. We have put in a sustainability mechanism by involving the states and the local governments. We have also put in capacity building programme in the project so that the beneficiaries will be educated. The beneficiaries will own the project in other to sustain it. Sometimes projects fail because the beneficiaries see it as an imposition from government. That is why we are starting with the training programme.

    “We are starting the project with over N200 million. The President has approved more ministries to participate. We look at the poverty level, access to water and sanitation in the various geo-political zones to select communities or states that will benefit from the project.”