Governor Radda Commissions Tsagero Water Scheme

*Clean Water Is a Basic Right, Not a Privilege—Governor Asserts

By Aliyu Dangida

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has commissioned the Tsagero Small Town Water Supply Scheme in Rimi Local Government Area, describing access to clean and reliable water as a basic human necessity that must be available to every community.

Speaking at the official commissioning of the project on Thursday, Governor Radda said the new water scheme is another major step in his administration’s efforts to expand access to safe and sustainable water supply across Katsina State.

The Governor said the project would improve access to potable water for households, schools, healthcare facilities and businesses in Tsagero, while also reducing the burden of water collection, especially for women and children.

“Access to clean and reliable water is not a privilege; it is a basic human necessity and a fundamental pillar of public health, human dignity, economic productivity and sustainable development,” the Governor said.

He added that the facilities provided under the scheme are not just physical structures, but instruments of transformation that will improve sanitation and hygiene, strengthen public health, and support local economic activities.

Governor Radda said water supply development remains one of the top priorities of his administration because of its direct impact on health, education, gender equality, environmental sustainability and economic growth.

“When women and children spend less time searching for water, they gain more time for education, productive activities and family life. When schools and healthcare facilities have reliable water supply, service delivery improves significantly. Communities with access to potable water are healthier, more productive and more resilient,” he said.

The Governor said this understanding has informed his administration’s heavy investment in the water sector, with substantial allocations made in the current budget to improve water infrastructure and service delivery across the state. He added that additional support is also being leveraged through development partners, including the World Bank-supported SURWASH and SPIN projects.

Governor Radda listed some of the ongoing interventions in the water sector to include the monthly provision of diesel and quarterly supply of treatment chemicals to sustain water production, the ongoing Zobe Water Supply Project Phase 1B, installation of pumps and motors across operational districts, construction of a new pump house at Ajiwa Water Treatment Plant, rehabilitation of Barhim Reservoir, rehabilitation of earth dams, and reforms to automate Water Board operations, billing systems, customer management and revenue collection.

The Governor also disclosed that his administration had awarded contracts for the construction of sixty-six small town water supply schemes across various communities in the state, including Katsina, Funtua, Baure, Kankara, Kafur, Daura, Charanchi, Batagarawa, Matazu and Faskari Local Government Areas.

According to him, thirty-two of the schemes have already been completed and are either operational or ready for commissioning.

“I am pleased to inform you that thirty-two of these schemes have been completed and are either operational or ready for commissioning. This achievement demonstrates our administration’s determination to address water supply challenges and improve the living conditions of our people,” Governor Radda said.

He assured the people that the government would not stop at the current achievements, noting that more STOWASSA schemes would be constructed and expanded across the state to ensure that every community has access to safe, reliable and sustainable water services.

The Governor, however, stressed that the sustainability of the facilities would depend on proper management, regular maintenance, financial discipline and strong community ownership.

“I call on community leaders, water users, local administrators and relevant institutions to work together in protecting and sustaining this investment. We must ensure responsible use of water and safeguard these facilities for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Mannir Ayuba Sullubawa, said the Tsagero project forms part of the broader efforts of the Katsina State Government to revitalize and expand water supply infrastructure across the state.

He said the water sector has recorded remarkable progress under Governor Radda through the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply schemes, restoration of non-functional facilities, extension of water distribution networks, and the commencement of major projects aimed at improving water production and service delivery.

The Commissioner thanked Governor Radda for his consistent support and strategic investment in the water sector, saying the Ministry has continued to record major achievements in the rehabilitation, expansion and development of water infrastructure across Katsina State.

He also called on the people of Tsagero to take ownership of the facility and ensure its proper use and maintenance.

“This facility is your collective asset. I urge you to safeguard it, use it responsibly, and support efforts towards its proper maintenance to ensure its sustainability for present and future generations,” Sullubawa said.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STOWASSA), Ibrahim Lawal Dankaba, said the Tsagero water supply system was carefully designed to provide safe and dependable water to residents across the town.

He said the project consists of 10 submersible pumps, one 300,000-litre ground reservoir, one 100,000-litre overhead tank elevated on a 9.6-metre tower, and 30 public stand posts.

According to him, the submersible pumps will ensure efficient water supply, the ground reservoir will provide storage during high demand, the overhead tank will support proper distribution pressure, while the public stand posts will make water easily accessible to households across the community.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nasir Yahaya Daura; Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Hon. Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji; Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Engr. Surajo Yazid Abubakar; Chairman of Rimi Local Government, Hon. Ali Mohammed Rimi and Alhaji Salisu Mamman Kadandani, Chairman Continental Group among other dignitaries.