We are pleased to announce that we have received a project extension for our EU project in Nigeria: “Technical assistance for the implementation of the water supply and sanitation sector reform project, phase III (WSSSRP III)”. This two-year extension adds another €4.7 million to our contract budget, which is now €12.9 million in total and the total project duration is now 74 months long.
During the last 50 months, we have improved water governance and institutional capacity for increased access to safe, adequate and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services in Adamawa, Ekiti and Plateau States. The two-year extension provides two additional packages of services:
1) Contract Management and Supervision of Works with regard to the programmes’ construction work and rehabilitation of Water Supply Schemes and Water Supply facilities. In the last four years, our key expert team had supported the Contracting Authority inter alia in the procurement of the works and supplies. Now we provide a non-key expert team consisting of one Chief Resident Engineer and one Resident Engineer and one Site Inspector in each of the three states respectively, next to several specialist engineers, to ensure the proper supervision of the works.
2) Further capacity building, sector coordination and community mobilisation/awareness with regard to introducing commercial aspects in the water supply and sanitation sector. This will be done by our key experts who will work on a part time basis now and several specialist experts. This second package is also important to ensure the communities’ commitment and support with regard to the ongoing works, and to ensure the facilities’ future adequate use/maintenance and thus the sustainability of the EU support.