Aiyedatiwa assures Ondo residents of improved water supply as first batch of materials arrives

By Tolulope Eniola

Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has assured residents of improved access to reliable pipe-borne water supply with the arrival of the first batch of pipes and critical equipment for the rehabilitation of the Owena Multipurpose Dam Water Treatment Plant and expansion of Akure’s water infrastructure.

The governor gave the assurance on Wednesday while inspecting the consignment delivered by CGC Nigeria Limited at the Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure, where he charged the contractor to ensure timely delivery of the project in line with approved technical specifications.

Procured from China, the equipment is for the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project and the Akure Urban Water Supply Project, which entail the rehabilitation of the Owena treatment plant, construction of an 800mm ductile iron transmission pipeline to Akure township, a new reservoir at Oke Aro, distribution networks and rehabilitation of three township reservoirs at Okebola.

Aiyedatiwa described the arrival of the materials as a significant milestone in his administration’s commitment to providing sustainable and accessible potable water, insisting that the project must be delivered without unnecessary delays.

He said the scheme was among the promises made during his election campaign which his administration was determined to fulfil.

“Time waits for no one, and no one waits for time. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it well and do it quickly too. Just like the civil servant would say, don’t deliver short, don’t deliver late.

“We want to deliver this as soon as possible. Our time here is tenured. I want to deliver a legacy project for our people, based on the promises we made during our election campaign.

“We don’t want to make these promises without fulfilment. And this is one of the fulfilments of those promises, by providing healthy, clean, pipe-borne water for our people to drink,” the governor said.

He recalled that the project was flagged off at the Owena Multipurpose Dam on December 9, 2025, describing the arrival of the equipment as a tangible demonstration of his administration’s resolve to move beyond promises to project delivery.

Aiyedatiwa explained that the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project and the Akure Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Projects were being implemented by the Ondo State Water Corporation with support from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The projects, he said, were designed to distribute treated water from the Owena Multipurpose Dam, expand access to safe drinking water in selected areas of Akure, strengthen the financial viability of water services and improve governance in the sector.

The consignment comprises valves, couplings, discharge machinery, mixers, backwash pumps, vacuum ventilators and ductile iron pipes.

According to the governor, the equipment would support water treatment and the rehabilitation of critical mechanical and hydraulic systems, while the pipes, valves and couplings would facilitate the transmission of treated water from the Owena plant to service reservoirs in Akure.

He commended the Ondo State Water Corporation, the Project Implementation Unit, AFD, CGC Nigeria Limited and the project consultants, SGI, alongside engineers and technical personnel, for their contributions to the project.

He said access to potable water remained essential to public health, business growth, community development and the general wellbeing of residents.

The governor directed CGC Nigeria Limited to ensure the proper handling, installation and deployment of the equipment in line with approved technical specifications, while urging the project authorities to enforce effective supervision and maintain the required standards of quality, safety and accountability.

“Our ultimate objective is not merely to receive equipment or complete construction works. It is to ensure that the people of Ondo State enjoy improved access to reliable and sustainable potable water,” he said.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the timely completion of the project and other critical infrastructure across the state.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Mrs Victoria Adetoye, said the arrival of the pipes had dispelled doubts about the feasibility of the project.

She commended the governor’s commitment to the water sector and expressed optimism that residents of the benefiting communities would have access to water in their homes by the same period next year.

Adetoye said the first phase would cover six local government areas in the Central Senatorial District and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo in the South, bringing the number of benefiting councils to seven.

She explained that the ductile iron pipes would convey water from the treatment plant to the reservoir.

“Majority of people thought this was impossible. But here we are witnessing it live. Since your inception, sir, you promised that your government would be different. And we can see it live.

“By this time next year, by God’s grace, every one of us will be taking water in our own abode,” she said.

She pledged the ministry’s commitment to the successful execution of the project, assuring the governor that the water sector would not disappoint him.

The Managing Director of CGC Nigeria Limited, Wang Peng, expressed delight at the arrival of the first batch of pipes and thanked the Ondo State Government and the water sector team for their support.

He assured the government that the company would complete the project on schedule and to the required quality standards.

In attendance were, Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Chief Segun Odusanya; Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Mr Muyiwa Ogunyemi; Director-General OSRC Media group, Mr Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson; Political Appointees; among others.