Nigeria inaugurates water project in Enugu State

Nigeria has inaugurated a water project in Enugu State which aims to address the severe water challenges faced by area residents.

The state Governor Dr. Peter Mbah, commissioned the dubbed 9th Mile 24/7 Water Scheme and cited that the area has faced slow economic growth caused by the lack of reliable water for almost two decades leading unnecessary suffering.

“It was clear to us, that the status of water supply at the time was deplorable. At that time, there had been no reliable water supply in most parts of Enugu State for almost 20 years. If anything, these conditions are suffocating businesses and households and leading to unnecessary suffering across the State,” said Dr. Peter Mbah.

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Constant water supply

The water with a capacity of 70 million liters per day, has a 4.4mw gas-powered plant built alongside which is intended to ensure uninterrupted power supply for the water project. Governor Mbah reassured residents that pipe-borne water was now a permanent feature in Enugu, with plans to commission additional water pumps to meet a total daily delivery of 120 million liters, twice the daily demand of Enugu urban.

While acknowledging challenges such as burst pipes in the water supply network, the governor assured that these issues would be addressed in the coming weeks. He called for residents’ cooperation in paying for services, protecting the infrastructure, and emphasized that reliable water supply comes at a cost but would be more affordable than alternative sources like water tanker supply.

Looking ahead, Governor Mbah pledged to extend pipe-borne water to major residential areas and address water problems in towns outside Enugu, such as Nsukka, Oji, Udi, etc. He urged the community to take responsibility for safeguarding the infrastructure and contributing to the success of the water supply initiative.