World Bank has selected Abia State as one of the six states in Nigeria to benefit from the global financial institution’s $700 million Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) project. Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday, at Government House, Umuahia, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided by Governor Alex Otti.
The World Bank grant would help Abia improve access to potable water and sanitation in the state and assist the state government to realise its goal of restoring potable water supply to all homes across the state.
The SURWASH initiative covers both urban and rural areas, and it is designed to strengthen the water supply system and hygiene.
Kanu said the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Small-Town Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project, suspended by the United States government at the inception of President Donald Trump’s second term, had resumed under a new funding arrangement facilitated by Mercy Corps.
He explained that the project would entail rehabilitation of both urban and rural water schemes in the state, including the Ubakala and Ariaria water schemes.
In the power sector, Kanu announced that Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency (ASERA) had issued three interim licenses to two power distribution companies – New Era and Aba Power – and one power generation firm, Geometric Power.
He added that the Ohafia power restoration project had reached 85 per cent completion.
The commissioner said the installation of 1.8 megawatt micro-grid solar power project designed to power the Central Bus Terminals in Umuahia and Aba, respectively, had commenced. He said the project “is in line with the state government’s integrated energy transition programme demonstrated in the acquisition of the electric vehicle buses for Abia Green Shuttle Bus Service Scheme”.
He said the Otti administration would clock three years on May 29, stressing that the state government would mark the anniversary with commissioning of completed projects or flag-off of new ones across the three senatorial zones.
Providing further clarification on the water projects, Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, said the SURWASH project entailed rehabilitating the water schemes to provide potable water to the people around Ubakala and Ariaria axis.
Monday explained, “For the Ariaria water scheme, the plan is to link it to the storage at Okigwe Road (Aba). And you know, we’re already also working to see if, at some point, all these water schemes will be linked to provide pipe-borne water to our people.
“If you go to Ubakala, you will also find that the contractor is already on site. So, this is a big milestone in the move to re- introduce potable water to our homes, to the people of Abia.”
On power, Monday said the electricity market of Abia State had taken off fully.
“And last week, the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority (ASERA) issued three interim licenses to three key companies within the state. Two distribution licenses and one generation license,” he said.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, was present at the post-EXCO press briefing.
Boniface Okoro
