Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Professor Joseph Utsev on Friday urged the World Bank to support Nigeria in the upgrade and construction of more dams across the country to boost irrigation farming and guarantee food security as well as Hydropower generation.
The Minister stated this when he received a World Bank team on a courtesy visit, led by its Senior Water Resources Management Specialist and Team Leader of TRIMMING and SPIN, Engineer Chinedu Umolu, and the National Coordinator of SPIN Engineer Ipinlaye Olaiye in Abuja.
Minister Utsev explained that although the World Bank has always been supportive of Nigeria, particularly in the funding of critical projects that have impacted positively on the lives of millions of citizens, more such support is yet required, now that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to upgrading all existing dams in the country.
According to Terhemen Oraduen, Personal Assistant to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Professor Utsev said the Federal Government is presently constructing new dams to scale up irrigation farming and achieve food sufficiency as well as improve Hydropower generation.
The Minister pointed out that with the increased number of states indicating interest in participating in the SPIN project, which is to commence soon, there is a compelling need for additional funding from the World Bank to enable the states to fully key into the SPIN project to boost food production, create more job opportunities for the nation’s teaming youths.
In his remarks, the Senior Water Resources Management Specialist and Team Leader of the TRIMMING and SPIN project of the World Bank Engineer Umolu said that the visit was to brief the Minister about the successful implementation of the TRIMMING project and its final closer next month.
He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu’s administration for his unwavering support for the execution of the TRIMMING project in Nigeria which has improved the lives of citizens of the country.
The World Bank representative also thanked Professor Utsev for his proactive and pragmatic leadership, which has led to the smooth kick-off of the SPIN project in the country with many states indicating interest to participate.
According to him, it was a clear demonstration of commitment to the success of the project and assured the Minister of the support of the bank to enable the project to impact positively on the lives of Nigerians.
