The Federal Government has commissioned the N5.7 billion Gashua Water Supply Scheme in Yobe to provide clean water to over one million residents in Gashua and surrounding communities in Bade Local Government Area.
The project was inaugurated on Tuesday by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, at the Gashua Water Works in Filin Tanda, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Utsev said the initiative aligns with the administration’s drive to boost public health, economic growth, and poverty reduction by expanding access to potable water.
He described it as a strategic solution to long-standing water scarcity and repeated outbreaks of waterborne diseases in the region.
“The Federal Government has commissioned the N5.7 billion Gashua water supply scheme in Yobe, as part of its efforts to expand access to safe and potable water in underserved communities across Nigeria.
“Unveiled on Tuesday, by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, the project is expected to serve over one million residents of Gashua and neighbouring communities in Bade Local Government Area,” the NAN report read in part.
The newly commissioned facility includes four solar-powered borehole-based water systems—one of which is located within a university campus—as well as a modern water treatment plant, surface and elevated storage tanks, electro-mechanical installations, and a wide-reaching transmission and distribution network.
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The minister urged stakeholders, including the Yobe State Water Board, to maintain the facility and involve local communities to ensure long-term sustainability.
He added that the scheme complements other federal water projects underway in Damaturu, Nguru, Fika/Gadaka, and Potiskum.
Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni, represented by Deputy Governor Idi Barde, thanked the Federal Government, stressing the scheme’s role in addressing chronic water scarcity and improving health and development in northern Yobe.
- He also referenced ongoing investigations into possible links between poor water quality and rising kidney-related illnesses in the area.
- Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, who was present at the event, praised the Tinubu-led administration for prioritising clean water and noted that the project was initiated in response to recurring waterborne disease outbreaks.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Richard Pheelangwah, urged local residents to protect the facility, while Mr Mukaila Babarinde, Director of Water Supply and Support Services, presented the project’s technical overview.
The ceremony ended with a formal handover, with officials noting that the project’s urgency was driven by a surge in kidney disease cases in Gashua. The National Water Resources Institute in Kaduna is currently investigating possible environmental causes.
