Kwara State serious about rural development
TradeInvestNigeria Staff
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jan 2008
The Kwara State government has made great strides in providing electricity to its rural
population. Picture: Japur
Large numbers of Kwara State's population currently experience a better quality of life because of the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki's vision for rural development. Over 70% of the state's population are rural dwellers, hence the significance placed on rural development.
In 2003 Governor Saraki created the Ministry of Rural Development with the responsibility of formulating, coordinating and evaluating policies on rural development. The Ministry has a strong focus on rural water supply, rural electricity supply and rural roads.
Rural water supply
Before the current administration started its tenure, rural water supply was in a dire situation. Governor Saraki immediately
appointed a committee to take stock of the water situation in Kwara State.
The committee found the following:
It identified 980 hand-pump fitted boreholes and 300 motorised boreholes in the state. Out of these, only a total of 128 were functioning, less than 10% of the total number of boreholes.
It also observed that around 1 500 communities lived without portable water and that access to portable water in rural areas stood at about 12%.
In its determination to provide portable water for rural dwellers within 500 metres of their homes by 2009 and to meet the millennium development goals, the state government has made tremendous achievements since 2003:
940 boreholes have been rehabilitated.
242 new hand-pump and motorised boreholes have been constructed.
A total of 80 deep wells, five in each of the 16 local government areas (LGA), have been constructed.
The state
government acquired three drilling rigs.
A training package has been designed for technical officers that would operate the drilling rigs as part of a contract agreement between the state government and the supplier of the rigs.
An advocacy/mobilisation team has been established to inform benefitting communities about the programme; and to identify workers for pump maintenance.
A water inventory survey was conducted in 2006 to produce maps that indicate the water supply status of Kwara State.
Routine maintenance of water installations in the 16 LGAs of the state have been put in place.
The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency was established.
The State Unicef Assisted Water and Environmental Sanitation project created boreholes for the local communities in the Isin, Ilorin East and Baruten LGAs.
The State government acquired three support trucks for drilling rigs
and two light vehicles to transport technical teams and materials to the drilling site.
Three motorised solar panel boreholes have been constructed in the three senatorial districts of the state.
Rural electrification
Providing adequate electricity to its population is of great importance to the state government. The following steps have been taken to reduce the problem of power supply to rural communities.
The present administration set-up a committee to asses the power supply situation in Kwara State and a three year plan was drawn up.
The rural electrification projects abandoned by the past administration were identified and completed.
More than 150 transformers were acquired for the proposed electrification projects in the state.
Two power injection stations were constructed at the Agba and Sobi Dams in Ilorin to ensure steady electricity supply to these
water sources.
The state government donated 5 000 metres of aluminium conductors to the National Electric Power Authority (now called the Power Holding Company of Nigeria) to improve power supply in the Ilorin metropolis.
3000 aluminium conductors were donated to the Agbeyangi community for the extension of electricity to the dispensary and community secondary school.
The state government invested enormously to supply power to the commercial farming project in the Shonga region.
Streetlights have been constructed in major towns in Kwara State.
Large areas in the Moro LGA and Patgi LGA received electricity.
Rural roads
A good road network is crucial to all socio-economic activities of a state's rural population. Without sufficient roads, other infrastructure facilities cannot be delivered. For this reason the current administration has rehabilitated 96 km of rural roads
across the state.
Investment opportunities in rural development:
Kwara borehole and drilling industry needs investment
Building materials industry planned for Kwara
Investors needed for kerosene and gas stove manufacturing
Investment sought for building of power plant
