By Prevail Inegbenose
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned the 198-kilometre Bwari Township Water Supply Network Project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing it as a major step towards improving the quality of life of residents and ensuring equitable development across Abuja’s satellite communities.
The President, who was represented by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the commissioning ceremony held in Bwari Area Council on Tuesday, said the project aligns with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at delivering infrastructure that directly impacts the lives of Nigerians.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain patient with the ongoing reforms of his administration, assuring that the policies being implemented are laying the foundation for national rebirth and long-term prosperity.
He noted that for many years, development in the Federal Capital Territory had been concentrated in the city centre, leaving many suburban and rural communities underserved.
“For too long, the narrative of Abuja has been a tale of two cities — a glittering centre surrounded by underserved communities. That era is gone. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and development must be decentralised,” the President said.
Tinubu explained that the newly commissioned water supply network, constructed by China Geo-engineering Construction (CGC) Nigeria Limited, connects Bwari Township and surrounding communities directly to the Lower Usuma Dam, the FCT’s primary source of treated water.
According to him, the project is expected to significantly reduce waterborne diseases, eliminate dependence on untreated water sources, and improve public health outcomes for thousands of residents.
The President further disclosed that the project had generated over 1,600 direct and indirect jobs for local youths, adding that similar water projects would be extended to Kuje, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji Area Councils before the end of his administration.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, described the Bwari Water Supply Network Project as the 50th project commissioned by the FCT Administration since May 2023 under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Wike said the project fulfilled President Tinubu’s directive that the benefits of the Greater Abuja Water Supply Scheme should extend beyond the city centre to satellite towns.
He recalled that after commissioning the Greater Abuja Water Project last year, the President directed the FCT Administration to ensure residents of satellite communities had access to potable water, a mandate he said had now been fulfilled in Bwari following the successful delivery of a similar project in Karu.
The minister noted that the FCT Administration had expanded its development priorities beyond road construction to include critical sectors such as water supply, which he said has a direct impact on the wellbeing of residents.
He announced that the 17-kilometre Bwari–Kubwa Road project would be commissioned before the end of the year, adding that 10 additional projects are expected to be inaugurated before January 2027.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as a fulfilment of government’s promise to improve the welfare of residents through the provision of essential infrastructure.
Mahmoud said access to clean water would boost public health, sanitation, education and economic activities in Bwari and neighbouring communities, while urging residents to protect the new infrastructure and ensure its sustainability.
Providing a technical overview of the project, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Dauda, disclosed that the contract for the project was awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited in August 2025 and work commenced immediately.
Dauda said the project involved the installation of about 198 kilometres of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) pipelines ranging from 63 millimetres to 630 millimetres in diameter, as well as 156 valves and other supporting civil works.
He stated that the upgraded water network would serve Bwari and neighbouring communities including Ushafa, Ajima, Gaba and Kuchiko, thereby expanding access to safe and reliable potable water in line with the FCT Regional Master Plan.