N59.5bn Greater Dutse Water Project Kicks Off

The long-awaited Greater Dutse Water Supply Project has officially commenced, marking the fulfillment of a 20-year dream of improving the residents of Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, and its surrounding communities’ access to potable water.

Governor Malam Umar Namadi, alongside the Federal Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, launched the gigantic project at a groundbreaking ceremony held in Sintilmawa, Ringim local government area.

The N59.5 billion project is a joint initiative between the Federal and Jigawa State governments. It is designed to address the scarcity of water that has hindered socio-economic growth in the state capital and its environs.
Once completed, the project is expected to provide safe and reliable water to over 1.5 million residents, enhancing their quality of life and boosting public health.

Speaking at the event, Governor Namadi expressed his administration’s commitment to improving water supply as a cornerstone of his 12-point agenda.

He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government for fulfilling the promise to undertake the transformative project for the people of Jigawa State.

“Let me, ab initio, express our deepest and profound gratitude to His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for fulfilling his promise to see to the actualization of the Greater Dutse Water Supply Project—which is the ultimate solution to the serious challenge of sustainable access to safe drinking water bedeviling the State Capital since the creation of Jigawa State in August 1991.”

“I am sure some of us here would recall that during the 2023 electioneering campaign, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the presidential candidate of our great party, the All Progressives Candidate (APC), made a solemn promise to the late Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi of blessed memory, for the direct intervention of the federal government in addressing the age-old water supply problem bedeviling Dutse, the state capital. Today’s flag-off ceremony is the commencement of the fulfillment of that promise. We most sincerely thank and appreciate the president for this.”

The gigantic project, awarded to Jidadu Ventures Nigeria Limited, at a total of N59,457,319,994, has a designed pumping capacity of about 55 million litres per day, and this project is to be completed within 24 months. It was designed to take water from Sintilmawa to Dutse and its Environs—a distance of about 56 kilometers—using pipelines and pumping booster stations.

The project’s components include, among others, the construction of scores of tube wells, installation of heavy-duty generators, over 50 kilometers of water transmission with 600/400 diameter pipelines, internal transmission pipeline networks, construction of water booster pumping stations, and giant water reservoirs,” Governor Namadi stated.

In his speech, the federal minister of Water resources and sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said the commencement of the project is a testimony of the commitment of the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to foster sustainable development across Nigeria.

He highlighted the project’s capacity to significantly reduce waterborne diseases and improve living standards in Jigawa State.

“This critical initiative will provide clean and safe drinking water to the people of Dutse and its environs. It stands as a testament to our commitment to improving the lives of our citizens and ensuring access to the basic necessities of life, in alignment with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.