Minister charges NWAI on capacity building, job creation
Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu, has challenged the National Water Resources Institute, on providing water supply equipment to other African Countries and to create a window for unemployed youths to acquire craft in plumbing.
Speaking during the commissioning of a project, Adamu said, National Resources Capacity Building Network Project, is been identified by UNESCO as a centre of excellence and in partnership with World Bank.
He said, NWRI is more relevant to the country, “am aware of the collaboration with six universities. We hope to see a time when people can come to NWRI from other countries to buy drilling rigs, irrigation, water pump rather than importing, so we can conserve foreign exchange.
“I understand the vital role of the institute to Kaduna state, and am happy because there is a strong collaboration between the NWRI and the Ministry of Water Resources.
He informed the ministry on the need to engage in manpower training, “especially those that need to be trained to have an idea of the ministry’s operation properly.
“I am aware that as part of its collaborative research, NWRI is making efforts to undertake the study of sedimentation levels in all our dams in the country in other to have a good estimate of the impounded water for multi-purpose use.
However, the minister challenged the Management and students of the institute to redouble their efforts in achieving set goals in line with the present administration, and to make the institution a centre of learning and capacity for African countries.
As part of his familiarization tour, was a visit to Challawa Gorge Dam Model Site; Rural Water Supply Sanitation Centre; fabricated rig and workshops; Water quality laboratory; UNESCO Category 2 Regional Centre for IRBM.
He noted that the ministry will continue to support and encourage NWRI in delivering on its mandates and ensure its reputation is sustained.
According to Dr Emmanuel Adanu, Executive Director NWRI, Kaduna, he said, the status of the institution in recent years has been on the rise and its activities continue to attract wider recognition both nationally and internationally.
“Presently, it is host to three specialized centres, established in collaboration with international bodies such as UNESCO, JICA and the World Bank to address specific needs of the water sector.
To fulfill its mandates, he said NWRI has and continue to carry out activities that impact directly on the society. “Some of these activities include development of curriculum for National and Higher National Diploma courses in water resources engineering technology, in collaboration with the NBTE; Drinking water quality assessment in eleven states of the federation including lead poisoning in Zamfara State; youth empowerment training programmes.
Meanwhile, Eng Adamu, also inspected the Galma Dam in Kaduna. The dam has a hydro power capacity of 2.5MW, 2,500 irrigable lands and provides water to water treatment plant in Zaria. The dam will create over 1.1million jobs for people living within its environ.
He noted that the dam will create opportunity for investors to engage in irrigation, and challenged the contractors to ensure everything is put in place before handing it over.
