Only 30% of Jos residents have access to pipe-borne water, says agency

The Jos Water Service Corporation (JWSC) says only 30 percent of residents in the Plateau state capital have access to pipe-borne water.

According to NAN, Apollo Samchi, managing director of the corporation, spoke on Thursday during a meeting with the newly appointed executives and the staff members of the agency.

Samchi said the corporation would need to pump about 4,000,000 litres of water to meet the daily demands of residents living in the state capital.

He said several issues such as poor maintenance of the plants and dams, dysfunctional pipe networks, new layouts springing up, and the lack of electricity supply have hindered access to pipe-borne water in Jos.

He said the new executives have initiated a two to six-month plan to tackle the problems and enable maximum delivery of services in the state.

He said the plan would also help in bolstering the revenue generation, adding that the corporation would work towards reaching the daily supply of 3,500,000 litres of water.

Samchi said the corporation would ensure an adequate supply of water in Jos and its neighbouring areas.

The managing director added that the corporation is working towards introducing new targets, and urged all members of staff to ensure that they discharge their duties effectively.

Access to water has always been a problem in Nigeria, particularly in rural communities where clean water is scarce.

In 2022, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Nigeria would need about N3 billion annually to improve access to clean water in the country.

In March 2023, UNICEF said 78 million children across Nigeria are at risk of water-related crises as one-third of children lack access to basic water at their homes.