AfDB launches $200m urban water supply project in Rivers

African Development Bank (AfDB) is to launch a $200 million urban water project in Rivers, says its country director, Dr Ousmane Dore.

Dore announced this in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

He noted that the project to be sited in Port Harcourt was expected to improve the sanitation and living standard of the people.

He explained that the bank had undertaken series of projects in the provision of infrastructure such as power, road, water and agriculture in the rural and urban areas of the country.

“The water sector is a critical area of infrastructure and the bank is the major donor in Nigeria.

“We (bank) have approved and almost about to launch in coming weeks or months the Port Harcourt Urban Water Supply and Sanitation project and the project is $200 million.

“We (bank) have many states today that have received the bank support from the urban water supply and sanitation programme such as Oyo and Taraba states’ project worth about $100 million and is still ongoing.

“Kaduna, Zaria project is worth $100 million which is jointly financed with the Islamic Development Bank and is ongoing.

“The bank also has rural water initiative programme ongoing in Yobe and Osun states; so the water programme has been a huge project for the bank,’’ Dore said.

According to Dore, the bank had also been into roads infrastructure which is known as rural access mobility project in Cross River and Lagos, Lekki express way.

Dore said that the goal of the programme was to create jobs and help to enhance the living standard of the people. (NAN)