Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has disclosed that the era of prolonged water scarcity in the state will soon be a thing of the past, assuring residents of clean, safe and sustainable water after decades of lack of access to running tap water.

Aiyedatiwa gave the assurance during the groundbreaking of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) assisted water supply projects at the Owena Dam in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore Local Council Area of the state.

Describing the occasion as a revival of a long-abandoned vision, the governor said it symbolised a renewed promise of clean and safe water for residents who had endured decades of inadequate supply.

He observed that the stalled Owena Multipurpose Dam Water Treatment Plant had represented lost opportunities for years, but with the intervention of AFD and AfDB, the state is embarking on a historic turnaround.

The governor explained that the Urban Water Supply Project would rehabilitate the Owena Water Treatment Plant, deliver new transmission to Akure and environs, construct 7,500 m³ reservoirs and expand urban distribution networks.

He added that the AfDB-assisted component would strengthen sanitation systems and extend water access across seven local government areas—Akure South, Akure North, Idanre, Ifedore, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Ondo East and Ondo West—assuring that no community would be left behind.

Highlighting the broader potential of the dam, Governor Aiyedatiwa said it would support irrigation, fisheries, renewable energy and tourism.

He also flagged off water quality testing kits and water treatment tablets for households and communities to test for bacteria, acidity, turbidity, hardness and nitrates, helping to reduce cholera and typhoid risks.

Representing the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Ayo Adekoya-Benson said the groundbreaking marked a decisive step by the government to deliver safe, sustainable and renewable water.

He noted that Akure had not witnessed an intervention of this magnitude in decades, describing it as a departure from years of scarcity and failed expectations.

Adekoya-Benson explained that the Ministry of Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene had worked closely with the state to expand clean water access.

In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Ayodele Akande, described the event as a historic breakthrough in the state’s quest for a dependable water supply.

Akande recalled that the last major intervention in Akure dated back to the 2009 Owena Dam project, which never reached its potential.

In his goodwill message, Project Manager of the African Growth Together Fund (AGTF), Engineer Kehinde Michael, said the Water Reform and Akure Water Supply and Sanitation Project represented a major joint commitment by the Federal Government, Ondo State Government, the African Development Bank and AGTF to transform water and sanitation delivery in Akure and surrounding communities.