YEAR 2016 END OF THE YEAR PRESS BRIEFING BY MD, LWC

END OF THE YEAR SPEECH DELIVERED BY MANAGING DIRECTOR, LAGOS WATER CORPORATION, ENGR. MUMINU ADEKUNLE BADMUS AT A MEDIA CONFERENCE ON 30TH DECEMBER, 2016
VENUE: CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS, WATER HOUSE, IJORA.

Gentlemen of the Press,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the End of the Year 2016, Media Briefing, marking my 365 days of assumption of the office as Managing Director of Lagos Water Corporation. I want to state that today?s event be considered a family gathering, because the Corporation has enjoyed your co-operation and unbiased reportage throughout the year.

As we are all aware, it has become a norm for the State Government to give account of its activities on regular basis in order to keep the public abreast of the plans, programs and projects of the government.
It is in line with this tradition that the Corporation has organised this briefing to inform the public about what the Corporation has done in the last one year.

To speak with perfect candour, this year has been very challenging, not only for Lagos Water Corporation or the State, but for the entire country, due to economic recession. However, the present administration of His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, which has been adjudged a performing administration, set the standard for the Corporation to tackle all challenges and improve on its performance, particularly in the area of production and distribution of potable water in the State. This has not only encouraged us, but keeps the Management of Lagos Water Corporation on its toes to map out strategies for achieving desired results.

Obviously, Power from the national grid has been a major hindrance to water Production and Distribution in the State. Equally, the absence of gas has made the IPP (Independence Power Plant) not to function effectively as projected. It is on record that ?Nigeria is losing 3,132 megawatts in a day; this is due to gas constraint, pipeline vandalization, inadequate infrastructure to transport the gas to power plants. The present Administration has taken a proactive step in addressing this challenge with the procurement of diesel-powered generators to power our waterworks; this has made water supply to be stabled in Lagos Metropolis.

We all know that Water is the most essential element of life on Earth, and our existence depends on safe and potable water, that conforms to World Health Organisation standard. That is why, Lagos Water Corporation is highly committed to its assigned responsibility of providing safe drinking water in sufficient and regular quantity, maintaining good quality services, meeting customers? expectations and promoting community health.

Lagos is the commercial and economic hub of Nigeria with the current population of over 20 million and is projected to reach 29 million by year 2020. This has put pressure on the existing LWC facilities, and for us to keep pace with this exponential growth of population in the State, and provide regular and sufficient water, the Corporation has designed a Lagos Water Supply Master Plan (2010 ? 2020), which serves as a frame work for our pragmatic approach to solve the problem of water shortage that may arise from population explosion.
At this point, I am happy to inform you that in spite of these daunting challenges, the Corporation has executed a great number of projects that have positively impacted on the people of Lagos State.

The State Government is expanding the water facilities to meet the water demand of 540MGD (Million Gallons per Day), and this gave birth to the commissioning of Otta-Ikosi Regional Waterworks of 4MGD in Epe Division, in May this year, with 80.32Km pipe network/reticulation which is currently serving eleven communities between Agbowa and Itokin. These include Ado, Agbowa, Ago – Hausa, Ago ? Owu, Ajebon Orugbo, Iganke, Ikosi, Odo Ayandelu and Otta Ikosi. In the same month, the State commissioned Mosan-Okunola Mini Waterworks of 2MGD with 5.0Km pipe network/reticulation in Mosan Okunola LCDA. This is currently serving Abesan Estate, Baruwa, and adjoining communities.

In the same vein, the State Executive Council recently gave an approval to commence the Development of Odomola Water Scheme II of a 100MGD Water plant and the reticulation of the primary, secondary, and tertiary distribution within the Odomola service areas such as, Lekki Phase 1, Dolphin, Victoria Island – Saka Tinubu, Victoria Island Annex, Ikoyi?Alexander Road, Ikoyi ? Club Road, Badore, Epe 1 and Epe 11. This Project will be executed on Public Private Partnership basis. At this juncture, it is important to shield light on the PPP model adopted for the execution of the project. This is not a profit driven initiative, but a strategy for injection of Public- Private Fund into infrastructure development and management process that encourages Private-Public Participation for accelerating rapid service delivery in effective and efficient manner for sustainability and socio-economic development of Lagosians.

The administration is currently executing the Construction of Adiyan Water Treatment Plant Phase II with 70MGD capacity which is to benefit a population of about 3,000,000 people by providing potable water, and this will be completed soon. When completed, this will serve Ikotun, Idimu, Isolo, Agege I & II, Ajegunle, Lagos West, Amuwo etc.

An on-going discussion on upgrade/expansion of Ishasi Waterworks to 35MGD to serve Ajangbadi, Iba, Ijegun- Egba, Otta-Awori, Ketu and its adjoining communities.

Reticulation is on-going from Isiwu (Otta Ikosi area) to Ikorodu to boost water production in the axis. This will also serve Ikorodu and its adjoining communities.

In our renewed efforts to supply water to every home in the state, the State is currently running an infrastructure support project with Lagos Water Corporation being the executing agency under the loan of Second National Urban Water Sector Reform Project (2NUWSPR). The project is being managed by Lagos Water Corporation Projects Implementation Unit. The Rehabilitation and Expansion of Distribution Network covers the following areas: Surulere (Surulere Zone, Itire Zone and Yaba-Ebute Metta-Iwaya Zone) and Victoria Island (Victoria Island, Victoria Island Annex and part of Lekki Phase I).

To enhance efficiency and boost revenue generation by the Water Corporation, we have carried out re-organisation for effective service delivery. Under this new arrangement, we have appointed 8 (eight) Regional Business Managers to ease administrative bottleneck. The regional business areas cover 8 geographical zones namely: Lagos South ? East, Lagos – North, Lagos North ? East, Lagos North ? West, Lagos – South, Lagos – South ? West, Lagos ? East, and Lagos ? Central.
We have also created Data control, Billing and Business intelligence Units to enhance service delivery and improve revenue generation of various regions, as well as improve business operations process through regular provision of Data and Information.

I want to re-state that the State Government is totally committed to the provision of safe and potable water to the Lagosians as this is evident in 2017 budget as more funds has been earmarked for execution and to facilitate all the projects in Water sector to improve access to potable Water in the State.

We must express our profound gratitude to His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, for the huge investment in Water facilities for us to deliver on our mandate of ensuring that every Lagosians get access to potable water.

This is pact that we have signed with Lagosians, and we are committed to that pact.

Gentlemen of the Press, I must sincerely appreciate you for your unflinching support and unbiased reports on our activities. It is neither a cajolery nor flattery; your constructive criticism has been a source of encouragement. When you tell us our shortcomings, it nudges us to do it right and when you appreciate us; it gingers us to do more.

Finally, I implore you, our esteemed Fourth Estate of the Realm to continue to partner with us and explain Government plans and programmes to the public, as people rely largely on you for authentic information on government plans, programmes and projects

I thank you all and God bless.

Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Lo?jewa Logun

Engr. Muminu A. Badmus
Managing Director/CEO
Lagos Water Corporation.