As part of effort to take advantage of natural resources abound in some areas across the state, the Ogun state government has completed plan to exploit the abundant sunlight under its renewable energy programme to power solar pump boreholes in 24 rural communities in both Odeda and Yewa North local government areas of the state.
The renewable energy scheme centred on solar-powered water supply to some rural areas in the state, according to information gathered by BusinessDay in Abeokuta, the state government, will be undertaken a joint partnership arrangement with the Federal with some Bilateral and Multilateral Agencies as well as the Private Sector involvement.
Speaking on the renewable energy project centred on water supply to 24 rural communities during Coordination and prioritisation tour of the benefiting communities on Tuesday, Gbele Olugbebi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, declared Ogun state government had released a counterpart fund meant for the drilling and energizing of the 24 boreholes in the rural communities for the first phase of the counterpart Project for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH).
The Permanent Secretary, represented by the Programme Manager, Ogun State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency, Oluwaseun Sonde, noted that the release of Ogun state government’s counterpart fund serves a guarantee of its resolve for the continuation of the projects, explaining that the PEWASH partners comprise Federal Government, Bilaterial and Multilateral Agencies, and Private Sector, while at the state level is made up of partners like State Government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Philanthropists and Communities.
He added that PEWASH Programme’s priority is to achieve access to water supply and improved sanitation and hygiene in rural areas by the Year 2030 and eliminate open defecation by the Year 2025, saying the programme is currently limited to Water Supply, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in selected public places.
While promising of prompt delivery of the 24 solar pump boreholes project, State’s Head of the Unit, Rural Water Supply Agency, Olusola Ogunbo, said that all hands were already on deck, to ensure that delivery takes place within the given period as part of condition to enable the Federal Government commence work on the next two Local Government Areas of Ijebu North and Ogun Waterside.
Ogunbo stressed that the implementation of PEWASH in the state would bring huge opportunities that would boost economic growth and promote good health of young and old ones within the state.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
