The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has pledged continuous partnership with UNICEF.
Professor Utsev stated this when he received the new UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, who led a delegation on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.
A statement signed by the Director Information and Public Relations, Mrs. Funmi Imuetinyan in Abuja commends UNICEF for its commitment to supporting the Ministry in achieving its mandate, which aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The statement reaffirms the Ministry’s continuous partnership with UNICEF in key priority areas, particularly in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector.
It states that details of the Ministry’s achievements in Dams, Irrigation, Water Quality, and WASH will be compiled and forwarded to the new UNICEF Country Representative to identify further areas of collaboration.
According to the statement, earlier, the new UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed says her visit was to understand the Ministry’s vision and priorities and get feedback that will help UNICEF on how best to support the Ministry in fulfilling its mandate.
“Highlight of my visit is to underscores the importance of access to safe water supply and sanitation, as well as the potential of water resources for hydropower, which not only contributes to increased government revenue in alignment with the SDGs but is also vital for health, education, and other critical sectors” she emphasizes.
“I assured that UNICEF would continue to strengthen its collaboration with the Ministry in these areas”
According to the statement, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, pledges that the Ministry will provide a detailed account of its achievements to UNICEF.
It stresses that the Directors of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Mrs. Elizabeth Ugoh, and that of Irrigation and Drainage, Mrs. Esther Oyeronke Oluniyi as well as Water Resources Planning & Technical Support Services, Adeyinka Adenopo call for enhanced cooperation with UNICEF particularly in water quality for irrigation purposes.
