Yobe State Ministry of Water Resources said on Wednesday that it spent about N330 million on provision of potable water for residents of the state from 2019 to 2021.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Galtima Mai-Ari, disclosed this in Damaturu at a ministerial briefing marking Governor Mai Mala-Buni’s two years in office.
He said over N116 million of the amount was used in drilling five solar powered boreholes at Wagir town, State Abbator, Damaturu and Nigeria Army Headquarters in Buni Gari.
Mr Mai-Ari said the sum over N102 million was also spent on drilling, upgrading and maintaining various kinds of boreholes in Damaturu, Potiskum, Geidam, among others.
The permanent secretary said the state contributed N112 million to Water Sanitation and Hygiene project of UNICEF in the state
Under the project, he said 232 handpump and 53 solar-powered boreholes, as well as 128 toilets, were built in Machina, Nengere, Jakusko, Fika, Gujiba and Yunusari towns.
Mr Mai-Ari said the ministry was operating and maintaining over 310 boreholes across the state including a 30km pipeline reticulation at Buni Gari, Damaturu, Potiskum and Geidam.
On the N8.4 billion Damaturu Regional Project recently awarded by the Federal Government, he said the contractors had been mobilised to site.
The permanent secretary said that when completed, the facility would produce 6.5 million litres of water per day for residents of the state.
NAN
