The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has expressed commitment to reduce multi-dimensional poverty levels, achieve set targets in water, sanitation and hygiene in rural communities in the territory.
The FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, made the pledge on Tuesday during the official inauguration of Abaji Water Treatment Plant in Abaji Area Council of FCT.
Aliyu stated that the project would improve the health and economic condition of the benefiting communities and take FCT a step closer to advancing the cause of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She revealed that the administration had initiated actions to achieve the targets of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across the FCT in line with the Executive Order number 9.
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“We are indeed committed to meeting the ODF target before the nationally set date of 2025 and universal access to water and sanitation by the SDG target of 2030.
” Already, we have developed an SDG action plan for the FCT and have aligned the 17 SDGs with our ministerial deliverables and applicable Presidential Directives and Executive Orders.
” Our 2021 budget priorities have been dictated by the need to meet these objectives,” Aliyu said.
The minister assured other communities that the administration was working to ensure that water was provided for them to improve their wellbeing.
She added that the project had the capacity to serve more than one million people, while expressing hope that it would help the communities to adequately meet their water and sanitation needs.
Aliyu, therefore, urged the benefiting communities to demonstrate genuine appreciation for the project by protecting the facilities from vandalisation.
The minister also advised the benefiting community to ensure that the taps and water kiosks are turned off when not in use and to avoid wastage.
She said in order to ensure sustainability and uninterrupted water supply to the communities, the project facilities need to be serviced and maintained regularly.
According to her, considering the economic realities and subsisting competing needs, the FCT Administration shall continue to leverage on partnerships.
”Such as the one with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President (OSSAP) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that delivered the project to deepen and extend service delivery.
“The FCT Administration shall also be counting on beneficiaries’ willingness to contribute their quota to the sustenance of quality service delivery through the introduction of metering for a token water rate payments.”
The FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, noted that the administration has been grappling with the challenge of expanding infrastructure to the teeming population of Abuja.
Adesola stressed that the inauguration of the treatment plant was to mitigate one of the challenges posed by inadequate infrastructure.
He said the inauguration of the water treatment plant was part of the administration’s commitment to improving the welfare and general wellbeing of the people in the FCT in line with the SDG mantra, “leave no one behind”.
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