The African Development Bank (AfDB) has spent N100 million dollars in funding Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project (UWSSIP) in Taraba and Oyo states to improve access to water supply.
The AfDB Nigeria Country Department, stated this in its March newsletter edition on Tuesday in Abuja.
The newsletter stated that the bank had recently installed an ICT enabled pre-paid water dispenser system in Taraba to improve access of low income households to treated and safe water supply.
It stated that the objectives of the dispenser kiosk system was to make the operations of the Taraba Water Supply Agency more transparent, improve service levels and make water distribution more equitable.
It added that the system would enable users to access water directly without going through middlemen (hence no extra fees) and the Water Supply Agency to collect revenue.
According to the newsletter, this will also be replicated in Ibadan, Zaria, Port- Harcourt and other cities as well as in rural areas in the recently approved Basic Services Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program for North-East Nigeria.
“Women and children will no longer walk long distances under threatening conditions as this bold step will bring potable water closer to their homes.
“In addition, they will no longer be subjected to extortion from mobile vendors.
The 100-million dollar UWSSIP in Jalingo and Ibadan will improve access to clean water and sanitation for an estimated 1.5 million people.
It stated that the project would focus on provision of services for low-income households and marginalised people, adding that in total 30,000 low-income household connections and 100 water kiosks would be constructed in the two cities.(NAN)