Minister of water resources, Suleiman Adamu, has urged state governments to prioritise investment in the water sector with a view to increasing water supply to Nigerians.
Adamu made the appeal while answering responding to question at a forum in Abuja.
He expressed worry that many states lack the political will to provide water and sanitation which he identified as basic ingredients of life.
“Many states are not prioritising water, some states instead of water, they build airports, instead of water, we are dualising highways and they are building universities.
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“Not that they are bad but, you need to reorder your priorities. Water and sanitation are the basic ingredients of life.
“Start with the basics, make sure that those problems are solved before you move on to the next level,’’ Adamu said.
According to him, because it was not much of a priority, states have not been investing much in water supply for the people.
“Maybe because water is too expensive and they don’t realise that water is dynamic. If you want to provide an adequate supply of water you have to be steps ahead of the population.
“So, before your population hits 10 million in a given year let’s say by 2025, you should have adequate water infrastructure supply for 12 million people.
“And by the time the population reaches 13 million people, you have already started the process of improving your facility to reach 20 million people.
“So, by the time the population reaches 20 million people, you keep moving and that’s the way to deal with issues of water and health facilities,” Adamu said.
