By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – THE Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, set to boost water and sanitation services.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr Joseph Utsev, Wednesday, during a meeting with NESG delegation led by Dr Tayo Aduloju, to the Minister’s Office at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja as contained in a statement signed by the Head, Press and PR, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Funmi Imuetinyan.

The Minister pledged to collaborate closely with NESG to accelerate the implementation of Water Resources and Sanitation mandate to take Nigeria to the next level in tandem with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of the present administration.

Meanwhile, he pointed out the significance of private sector engagement in realizing the Ministry’s goals and commended the NESG for its contributions to Nigeria’s development.

Speaking earlier, according to the NESG Team Lead, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, while recalling the inception of the first summit, said the government and private sector jointly established six fundamental principles, including democracy, national interest governance, the rule of law, enabling business environment, private sector commitment, and free enterprise, as the basis for a modern economy.

Aduloju also highlighted the pivotal role of the summit in driving transformation in Nigeria, including the conceptualization of GSM, pension reform, liberalization of the maritime sector, and numerous development plans.

However, he assured private sector’s readiness to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in implementing strategic commitment to fulfill the current Administration’s mandate by attracting substantial international investments and transforming Water Resources into a valuable asset.

Also speaking was the Thematic Head for Water and Sanitation under the Infrastructure Policy Commission,NESG, Gabriel Ekanem, explained and elaborated on NESG’s previous collaborations with the Ministry.

According to Ekanem, these collaborations encompassed areas such as water supply, data collection, the Water Resources master plan, and regulatory frameworks for Water Resources Management.

In attendance were the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, OON, mni, and several Directors from the Ministry.