The Managing Director/CEO of Fordmax Nigeria Ltd Clifford Offorbuike Nnaji, says he is proud to identify with the organizers of this year’s WorldBank Water day. He stated this in his goodwill message at the WorldBank Water day 2023 organised by UNESCO in Abuja. He noted that the fitting choice of the theme “Accelerating Change to solve the water and Sanitation crisis” has endeared him to identify with the organizers. This he said will bring innovation to the inefficient traditional water supply schemes and models.
He thanked the World Bank, and indeed the United Nations, for using this day to draw global attention to this invaluable commodity, and the need to harness its availability for the survival of mankind. Coming at the heels of the United Nation 2023 water Conference in New York, USA, March 22, 2023, this forum must provide us the opportunity to focus real attention on our own peculiar challenges on the subject- matter he said.
However, he quoted the common parlance in Nigeria which says that there is water everywhere but none for drinking! Yet the significance of water in health, sanitation, food production and security, economic development, etc, cannot be overemphasized. Nigeria’s population has been projected to grow from its 2020 estimate of 206Million to 363Million people in 2030; and the massive 733Million by 2050, when it is expected to remain the most populous country in Africa, and the 7th in the world. This frightening statistics, coupled with lack of strategic plans to grapple with its incidents, make our people so vulnerable, not only to water shortages but also hunger and poverty. He emphasized the fact that with an expected increase in rural to urban migration, ravaging effects of climate change, etc., Nigeria cannot but exploit the full opportunities that this Day furnishes her now; because to fail to do so is to hand over the future of Nigeria to uncertainty. Just as the World Economic Forum (WEF) recently identified water crisis as one of the greatest risks to global economic growth, it is estimated that even those countries, such as Nigeria, that still boast of some waiter availability, even if evenly distributed, such water remain largely unsafe for both drinking and industrial use. While highlighting the aptness of the theme of this Year’s celebration. He stressed his concern on how the country can achieve a nation-wide sustainable supply of affordable portable water for citizens of Nigeria, fast enough, and with green technological process.
FORDMARK NIGERIA LTD, he alluded to has distinctive competences in water engineering and technology, specializing in turn-key water projects and schemes, in the highly technical areas of water geology, Borehole Drilling, reticulation, Smart Metering and Billing technologies, all powered by their reliable Solar technologies. He said they have strong presence in Irrigation technologies as means of addressing food security and agricultural challenges.
He added that as part of their desire to assist the Federal Government in its job creation efforts, their business model can create over 20million productive jobs across industries within one year. He said water is no doubt a natural resource of individual utility, which availability has remained a topical issue in our clime due largely to the outdated technologies that is being deployed in harnessing this life-saving commodity.
With the paradigm shift in fossil to green renewable energy sources, such as efficient solar system, he stated here that with their expertise and experience in water engineering and technologies, from borehole drilling. Treatment, reticulation, metering, Billing etc., their company can offer excellent opportunity to service Nigeria with an endless flow of potable water, at literally no cost to the Government.
Their major request therefore lies in Federal Government endorsement, at no cost, upon their satisfactory demonstration of their good faith, capacities as claimed. Thus their proposal as stated is a win-win strategic partnership wherein the Government reaps the mileage in public trust, escalated internally generated funds in taxes, reduced ailments that are water related, as well as overall happiness and enhanced well-being of Nigerians.
He said as part of corporate social responsibility, FORDMARX intends to provide training programme for the professional upgrade in the Industry, for Engineers and Technicians in the Country.
He further appealed for partnership with state governments and other corporate entities towards providing skilled manpower in Nigeria.
