The World Bank has approved a $250 million (about N40 billion) credit facility from the International Development Association, IDA, to help boost access to water supply services among Nigeria’s urban poor.
The facility is also expected to improve the financial and management viability of existing water utilities in the country.
The Bank said the funds would benefit about two million people among the poor, urban population living in the 36 state capitals and their environs.
Speaking on the project, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank country director for Nigeria said:
“Today’s project builds on past experience which has shown that building water infrastructure without strengthening the capacity of the institutions responsible for managing water supply to the targeted areas does not lead to sustainable results,”
“We therefore hope that the new strategy which puts more emphasis on this integrated approach will contribute to improve the health and economic well-being of the country’s poorest and more vulnerable particularly women and girls who spend a lot of time fetching water.”
