The World Bank is expected to invest $350 million in Nigeria, according to the Nigerian federal government. The funds will be used to finance the Sustainable Water Supply and Rural Sanitation Project.
The National Stakeholder Consultation on the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Project in Nigeria has recently been finalised in Abuja, the country’s capital. During the two-day workshop, Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, announced that the World Bank would allocate $350 million to Nigeria.
The funds will be used to finance the Sustainable Water Supply and Sustainable Rural Sanitation Project in Nigeria. Rachid Benmessaoud, World Bank Country Director in Nigeria, said: “This project, which aims to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, is part of our long-term obligation in a context involving strategic achievements that build on other activities that are under the responsibility of national portfolios, including activities in the education and health sectors”.
A three-phase project
World Bank funding will be made available within one year. It will be crucial for the further implementation of the Sustainable Water Supply and Sustainable Rural Sanitation Project in Nigeria. Its first phase was implemented between 2016 and 2018. The aim was to prepare the execution of the other phases of the project through the implementation of systems and infrastructure, as well as the finalisation of standards, guidelines and manuals, not forgetting the project’s policies and investment plans. This phase of the project also enabled the rehabilitation of drinking water and sanitation facilities, particularly in Kano and Ogun States. The government estimates that 700 facilities have been rehabilitated in these states, located respectively in the north and southwest of Nigeria.
Phase II of the Sustainable Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Nigeria will provide for the construction of new drinking water and sanitation facilities in rural and semi-urban areas. The implementation of this phase began in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2025. As for drinking water, it is the construction of human-powered boreholes that constitute more than 90% of water supply technologies. Drinking water supplies will also be built in semi-urban areas. They will work with solar off grids. The Nigerian federal government plans to reduce the proportion of human-powered boreholes to focus on solar-powered boreholes.
During the implementation of Phase III, which runs from 2026 to 2030, emphasis will be placed on sanitation and hygiene, including the construction of latrines to prevent open defecation, which often leads to disease. These facilities will be built mainly in schools, health centres and markets. The government is relying on private companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to implement this project.
Jean Marie Takouleu
