Minister Inspects Ilesha Project, Calls For Accelerated Water Supply

Prof. Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, visited the Ilesha Water Supply Project in Ilesha, Osun State, as part of a fact-finding and inspection tour of federal water supply, dam, and irrigation projects in the South West.

The purpose of the visit was to assess the project’s current status and identify ways for the Federal and Osun State governments to improve water supply to 32 villages in the Ilesha area.

Utsev emphasised the importance of taking immediate action to improve the quality and quantity of the water supply.

He emphasised that the Osun State consultant’s recommendations as well as critical insights into the design of the proposed reservoir and treatment plant would be reviewed.

Mrs. Funmi Imuetinyan, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, issued the following statement.

He stated that efforts would be directed towards environmentally friendly frameworks, cost-efficiency, and high water quality, and that stakeholders such as the Osun State Commissioner for Water Resources, water resources engineers, and experts would be involved in determining the best solutions to the project’s challenges.

During the inspection, Utsev noticed that the project consultant reported a significant reduction in water quantity from the reservoir.

He urged the Osun State consultant to submit comprehensive recommendations and announced that a meeting would be held to discuss the most effective ways to ensure continuous water supply to Ilesha communities.

Engr. Lanre Abioye, the Osun State project consultant, briefed the Minister on the investigation’s findings.

He stated that the initial capacity of the water supply had been reduced due to illegal activities upstream.

Abioye proposed desilting the reservoir, building a 5 million cubic metre reservoir, and performing regular maintenance to improve water distribution and reticulation in the communities.