PHOTO: ekekeee.com
To strengthen institutional capacity for improved service delivery and financial viability in the Bauchi State Water and Sewerage Corporation (BSWSC), the state last week commenced a three-day capacity building workshop in the captial.
The workshop was organised by Development Innovations Group (DIG) under the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordination Project (WCP).
In her remarks, permanent secretary of the State Ministry of Water Resources , Hajiya Aisha Musa Chibiyayi, who represented the Commissioner of the ministry, Alhaji Sulaiman Ibrahim Ayuba, urged participants to internalise what they have learned at the workshop which will greatly help them in carrying out their assignments.
Also the Managing Director of BSWSC, Aminu Aliyu Gital, an engineer, described the workshop as “timely, considering the changing trends in modern utilities”.
He thanked WCP for organizing the training and urged participants to utilize the opportunity in order to enhance their capacity for greater productivity.
Giving an overview of the project, the Chief of Party (CoP) of the WCP, Mr. Timeyin Uwejamomere, said the Project was a 24-month project financed by USAID that commenced in November 2016.
The project, he said, was building on work carried out under a previous USAID supported Sustainable Urban Water and Sanitation in Africa (SUWASA) programme , which focused on improved urban water and sanitation services in Bauchi, Ebonyi and Rivers States.
Uwejamomere also disclosed that the WCP primarily targets urban challenges with the focus in the states of Bauchi and Kaduna, where according to him “government officials have demonstrated a firm commitment to sector improvement, and where WASH service gaps remain acute”.
While congratulating the targeted participants for being part of the project, the CoP said the training was aimed at sensitising stakeholders on the key practices that will ensure the adequacy and consistency of water supply as well as the financial viability of the Water Agency.
Uwejamomere further expressed optimism that participants will be able to understand and explain the role of efficient water treatment processes in improving financial viability.
“They will also be able to develop and use commercial principles in corporate management; integrate cost consideration in analyzing the interrelatedness of various aspects of utility operations to optimize cost; and also be able to prepare and operate an effective billing cycle to enhance cost recovery”, he noted.
The programme, which comes under the WCP Task three is directed at providing technical assistance to strengthen the Bauchi State Water and Sewerage Corporation, under the on-going reforms by the state government.
It is expected to provide the opportunity for seven categories of staff with a total of over 200 personnel receiving one training or the other.
