The Katsina State Government has earmarked N17 billion in the 2024 budget to implement the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) projects in the state, an official disclosed.
Alhaji Aminu Dayyabu-Safana, the SURWASH Project Coordinator in the state, made this known at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Katsina on Wednesday.
The Coordinator said that the objectives of the project was to improve access, in terms of water sanitation and hygiene to communities and households, health centres and primary schools.
He said: “In this year’s budget, the state government has committed or has appropriated N17 billion for the implementation of SURWASH project.
“This is in line with Gov. Dikko Radda’s committement to really mainstream water supply, sanitation and hygiene, through the SURWASH project in the state.
“Through this project, we intend to provide basic drinking water to communities across the intended 10 local government areas that the SURWASH is being implemented.”
Dayyabu-Safana pointed out that through the project, which started in 2021, they were able to present the result, “because it is a Project for Results (P for R).”
According to him, the facility do come immediately after the investment and verified by the World Bank, “unlike the Investment Project Finance (IPF), where they used World Bank tools to procure, construct and monitor,
“This one, we are using the state government instrument to do all the needful in terms of procurement, supervision and monitoring.
“And thereafter, you report the result to the World Bank, and they will come and verify the results that you have reported, and they now provide you with the facility.
“So, it’s more of a reimbursement if the loan is not coming directly, the government has to invest first, which means it is on money and achieve result.
“In year two, we are able to report result in terms of improving access to water supply through small town in some communities,” Dayyabu-Safana said.
He said for the urban water, the state water board was able to provide access to improve reticulation and rehabilitation of some boreholes within the premises of Sardauna and Fatima Shema estates and surrounding.
The state deputy governor, Alhaji Faruq Jobe while commending the world bank’s support, assured the state government’s commitment to continue to provide the necessary support by massively investing in healthcare and water supply.
The deputy governor added that, “Water is life and health is wealth, so, no amount of investment by government will be too much in these sectors.
“That’s why the governor, in his wisdom, has identified the need to do a lot of investment in terms of water infrastructure, and for other multinational agencies that are coming to support the state.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured discussion session as well as conferment of SURWASH Ambassador to the governor’s wife, Hajiya Zulaihat Radda. (NAN)
