The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah RengOchekpe has said that the Ministry would attach hydropower components to all dams in their designs in order to increase Socio economic activities in the country.
Mrs. Ochekpe made this known at a symposium organized by the Ministry to commemorate this year’s World Water Day on Monday 23rd March, 2015 in Abuja.
The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Musa Istifanussaid that the Ministry is focused on ensuring that the nation’s dams have hydropower components in their designs.
She said, “Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself. It is vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, welfare and productivity of populations.”
Mrs. Ochekpe explainedthat the present administration had committed a lot of resourcesin ensuring development in the sector, adding that some of the abandoned projects in the sector had been completed.
She said that the theme of this year’s World Water Day, is “Water and Sustainable Development”,which is a clarion call to all the stakeholders to come together to ensure that the natural resources is developed in a sustainable manner.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mr. Musa Istifanusrepresented by the Director, Planning Research and Statistics of the Ministry, Mr. Muhammad Wakili said that the objective of this year’s celebration is to raise awareness towards commencement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as it affects water resources development and management.
“In line with global focus on sustainable development, the Ministry of Water Resources and its agencies are working towards ensuring management of the nation’s water resources to meet the present and future needs of our teeming population”, he explained.
In her goodwill message, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr. Precious Gbeneolrepresented by Mr. Jenefaa Gillis-harrydisclosed that the MDG office hadappropriated about seven hundred million naira (N700,000,000) in 2015 to support the development of thewater sector.
She promised continuous cooperation with the Ministry in achieving the objective. “My office will not relent in its efforts at ensuring that water related MDGs projects and programmes are continued to be given the desired attention in order to meet the MDGs goals”, she stated.
OgundoroModupe (Mrs.)
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