PIPE-BORNE WATER WILL FLOW IN ONDO STATE AGAIN, VOWS GOV AIYEDATIWA
- As Gov flags off rehabilitation of Owena Dam; 1.3m residents in seven LGs to benefit
… launches mobile solar-powered irrigation pumps, water quality kits for households, farmers
Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, declared that the era of prolonged water scarcity in the state is nearing its end, assuring residents of clean, safe and sustainable water after decades of dry taps.
He made the declaration at the groundbreaking of the AFD- and AfDB-assisted water supply projects at the Owena Dam in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.
Describing the occasion as a revival of a long-abandoned vision, the governor said it symbolised a renewed promise of clean and safe water for residents who had endured decades of inadequate supply.
He observed that the stalled Owena Multipurpose Dam Water Treatment Plant had represented lost opportunities for years, but with the intervention of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), Ondo State is embarking on a historic turnaround.
The Governor explained that the Urban Water Supply Project would rehabilitate the Owena Water Treatment Plant, deliver new transmission mains to Akure and environs, construct 7,500m³ reservoirs and expand urban distribution networks.
He added that the AfDB-assisted component would strengthen sanitation systems and extend water access across seven local government areas—Akure South, Akure North, Idanre, Ifedore, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Ondo East and Ondo West, assuring that no community would be left behind.
Highlighting the broader potential of the dam, Governor Aiyedatiwa said it would support irrigation, fisheries, renewable energy and tourism.
He also flagged off Water Quality Testing Kits and Water Treatment Tablets for households and communities to test for bacteria, acidity, turbidity, hardness and nitrates, helping to reduce cholera and typhoid risks.
Mobile Solar-Powered Irrigation Pumps were also launched for farmers, making the interventions among the most comprehensive water and agricultural modernisation programmes in the state’s history.
The Governor expressed gratitude to AFD, AfDB, AGTF and the Federal Government for their support and urged contractors to execute the projects with integrity and diligence.
He added that his administration would continue to prioritise potable water and strengthen institutions responsible for long-term service delivery.
Representing the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Ayo Adekoya-Benson said the groundbreaking marked a decisive step by government to deliver safe, sustainable and renewable water.
He noted that Akure had not witnessed an intervention of this magnitude in decades, describing it as a departure from years of scarcity and failed expectations.
Adekoya-Benson explained that the Ministry of Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene had worked closely with the state to expand clean water access.
He said the project went beyond rehabilitating old systems, covering treatment, pipelines to Akure, reservoirs and network expansion to close long-standing gaps.
He commended AfDB and other partners for their collaboration, adding that the initiative symbolised a rebirth of a sector where no child would drink unsafe water and every household would enjoy clean running supply.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Ayodele Akande, described the event as a historic breakthrough in the state’s quest for dependable water supply.
Akande recalled that the last major intervention in Akure dated back to the 2009 Owena Dam project, which never reached its potential.
He said the new phase went beyond breaking physical ground: “We are breaking the barriers of scarcity, unfulfilled hopes and interrupted dreams.”
He explained that the new projects include rehabilitation of a moribund 60,000-cubic-metre dam, treatment plant works, construction of transmission pipelines to Akure, reservoir construction and network expansion designed to close long-standing gaps.
The commissioner said the groundbreaking signalled the rebirth of renewed hope, expressing confidence that no child would again drink unsafe water and households would soon enjoy running water.
In his goodwill message, Project Manager of the African Growth Together Fund (AGTF), Engineer Kehinde Michael, said the Water Reform and Akure Water Supply and Sanitation Project represented a major joint commitment by the Federal Government, Ondo State Government, the African Development Bank and AGTF to transform water and sanitation delivery in Akure and surrounding communities.
He explained that the initiative targets expanded access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene in Akure, Ondo City and satellite areas.
According to Michael, the project rests on three components: water and sanitation infrastructure development, institutional capacity strengthening and project management, designed to enhance the commercial viability of the Ondo State Water Corporation.
Michael gave the financing breakdown as AfDB US$142 million, AGTF US$20 million, Ondo State US$36.9 million and the Federal Government US$2.5 million. He said the infrastructure component includes 44.73km of transmission lines, 691.32km of distribution pipelines, new reservoirs, treatment plant rehabilitation in Owo, Ondo and Ibaraki, and customer metering.
On broader infrastructure, Michael said the Multi-Purpose Dam, completed between 1998 and 2007, had remained idle despite its potential in water supply, irrigation and power generation.
He explained that a new 60,000-cubic-metre-per-day treatment plant would unlock the dam’s value and provide consistent water supply to Akure and its environs until at least 2032.
An AfDB representative, Dr Abdul Kamara, described the initiative as transformative and aligned with the three key pillars of the state’s development agenda: health and social welfare, infrastructure and tourism, and education and human capital development.
He commended the state government’s leadership, noting that access to safe water reduces disease burden, strengthens learning environments and enhances the investment climate.
He added that the project aligns with AfDB’s high-five priorities of improving quality of life, integrating Africa, industrialising Africa, feeding Africa and powering the continent, and fits into the Bank’s renewed focus on strengthening African financial systems.
He said the groundbreaking marks the shift from planning to execution and urged contractors to adhere strictly to timelines.
The Governor later toured the facility at the Dam and also laid the foundation of the office complex and laboratory of Ondo State Water Corporation in Akure.
In attendance were Deputy Governor Dr Olayide Adelami; Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Head of Service, Mr Bayo Philip; members of the State Executive Council; members of the Ondo State House of Assembly; local government chairmen; traditional rulers; Director General of OSRC Media Group, Mr Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson; Chairman of SUBEB, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan; and other top government functionaries.
Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
December 9, 2025.
