Key stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector on Tuesday converged in Abeokuta for a technical workshop aimed at reviewing and validating the sector diagnostic report, a major step in the ongoing consultancy service for the preparation of the Ogun State Water Supply and Sanitation Master/Investment Plan.
Speaking at the workshop, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on SDGs and Water Resources, Damilola Otubanjo, said the exercise marks the review of the initial sector diagnostic assessment being undertaken by consultants engaged through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.
Otubanjo explained that the state had previously held several engagements with relevant agencies, and the workshop was designed to harvest feedback from key players, including the Ogun State Water Corporation, the Ministry of Environment, and agencies responsible for physical planning.
“This exercise helps us see how we can develop a master plan that serves the people. This is the first-stage diagnostic review,” she said.
She added that the initiative is part of a long-term, multi-phased programme that will include the drafting of the master plan, further stakeholder engagements, and refinement to ensure the final document is useful, implementable, and sustainable.
According to her, the ultimate goal is to establish a structured plan that guides government actions and attracts robust investments into the water and sanitation sector.
Otubanjo assured residents of Ogun State that the master plan, once fully developed, will lead to improved service delivery, including the reactivation of several non-functional water schemes.
“We would have a proper master plan that guides our actions and efforts beyond the master plan, it’s also important that we have plans that allows for robust investment in the water and sanitation sector so these documents is designed to be able to allow that in the immediate short term, people can see the effects of a structured plan that is tailored to meet the needs of the people of Ogun State .
“ Our people should expect improve service delivery in terms of how ewe are able to bring back to reactivation number of our schemes that are currently not working, so we are doing all that we can to make sure that we are not just reactive in our responses to fixing many schemes that are currently not functioning, but we have a properly structured programme to ensuring that it’s adequate and it’s robust”.
Also speaking, the Governor’s Consultant on Water Resources, Muinat Jaji, described the workshop as an essential part of the sector review diagnostic process.
Jaji noted that consultants engaged by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation had already carried out assessments at various water schemes in the state.
The workshop, she said, was convened to enable stakeholders review, validate, and provide inputs on the diagnostic report.
"What they are trying to do is to give us a master plan/ investment plan and before they can package that for us , they need to access our current status of Ogun State water corporation.
"We have a lot of gaps and this they have done , before they can validate that report, they call a stakeholders workshop to review their findings after which will be validated.
She emphasized that the plan is designed for short-term, medium-term, and long-term interventions to ensure comprehensive development of the state’s water supply and sanitation sector.
According to her, the implementation of the master plan will involve the state government, Public private partnership, and international donors.
On her part, Dr. Linda Akpami, Project Director for the consultancy firm handling the assignment for the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, said the project is designed to help Ogun State diagnose its current water sector challenges and identify the investments needed for reliable and efficient water supply to urban residents.
Dr. Akpami noted that the master plan will cover a 30-year projection period, identifying necessary components to ensure that water facilities are efficient, functional, and capable of delivering clean, potable water to consumers. She added that beyond preparing the master plan, the firm will also provide technical advisory support to the state during implementation.
“The first phase of this project supported seven states. This current phase covers five states including Ogun, Osun, Jigawa, and others in the North. Our firm has previously supported Kogi and Kwara States. Ogun is the third state we are supporting in this phase, and we believe the state is in good hands,” she said.
