The Federal Government has secured a $700m loan from the World Bank for specific water projects in the country, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has said. According to him, most of the problems associated with water supply in the country are the responsibilities of state governments. The minister said these in an interview with journalists on Monday night during the maiden edition of the Rewards and Recognition Awards ceremony organised by the ministry in Abuja. He said seven states, comprising Imo, Delta, Bauchi, Ekiti, Katsina, Kaduna and Plateau, were expected to benefit from the first tranche of the loan. According to him, the duty of the Federal Government in the area of water supply is to provide support to states. The minister noted that lack of access to potable water had been a major problem for Nigerian communities. He said, “What Nigerians need to understand is that the Federal Government is not responsible for providing water in their taps; that is the responsibility of state governments and that is why we don’t have a federal water board.

Punch