Plateau Commissioner for Water resources and Energy, Alhaji Sa'ad Bello have stated that Plateau is working towards eradicating open defecation in the state by 2025.

Bello said this at the contract award and signing of water projects for Wase and Jos East local government areas, in Jos on Friday.

He said that water is a prerequisite to achieve proper sanitation and maintain good hygiene.

“As we are marching to 2025 where the president, Muhammadu Buhari has made a commitment that Nigeria will be out of open defecation.

“I want to state that Plateau is also committed to give commiserate support to ensure that it is one of the first states to eradicate open defection.

“There will be no proper hygiene without water, it is a prerequisite for sanitation and hygiene,” he said.

Bello further explained that the water project tagged: “Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene, PEWASH”, was a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Plateau government to provide water to rural communities in the state.

He said that the state project, which is in Wase and Jos East, would see the construction and rehabilitation of 80 water points in both local governments.

He added that the project will keep expanding as funding comes from both state and federal levels.

The General Manager, Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Peter Kassam, explained that the water project was launched in 2016 by the federal government to help rural communities.

Kassam said that the project was based on equal marching ground which meant that whatever the state would pay for a programme, it would attract same from the federal ministry of water resources.

He said that for the 2020 award, which Plateau was among 10 states selected, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on its part had constructed and rehabilitated 80 water points in Langtang North and Kanke local government areas.

He added that the project would include upgrade of hand pump borehole to simple solar borehole, construction of new simple solar boreholes and conversion of the conventional motorised to solar motorised.

He said that 40 water facilities would be constructed in each of the local governments.

Nuhu Damina, the contractor, while thanking the government for the project, promised to use quality materials in the projects and to deliver at the stipulated time.