Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation have resolved to embark on oversight visits to dams and irrigation projects nationwide to ascertain claims made by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation during the defence of its 2026 budget proposal.

The resolution followed the presentation by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Terlumun Utsev, who appeared before the committee to defend the ministry’s proposed 2026 budget of ₦98.105 billion.

Prof. Utsev told lawmakers that the ministry had constructed and rehabilitated over 6,700 water schemes across the country, providing safe drinking water to millions of Nigerians.

According to the minister, about 500 rural water supply projects have also been executed nationwide, benefiting more than two million people in rural communities through solar-powered boreholes and reticulation systems.

He said these interventions were part of the ministry’s drive to expand access to potable water and reduce water-related diseases, particularly in underserved areas.

On dam development and energy generation, Prof. Utsev disclosed that the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam had been completed, with a 40-megawatt hydropower plant already supplying electricity to the national grid.

He added that the facility also has an operational airstrip delivered through a public-private partnership arrangement.

The minister noted that the combined hydropower output of Kashimbila, Gurara and Dadin Kowa dams, put at 110 megawatts, has strengthened Nigeria’s renewable energy mix.

He further informed the committee that significant progress had been recorded on major dam projects across the country, including Mangu, Adada, Ogbese, Farin Ruwa and Alau dams, as well as several smaller dams and reservoirs at various stages of completion.

These projects, he said, were critical to irrigation development, flood control, and the sustainability of water supply.

In the area of sanitation and public health, Prof. Utsev said the ministry had constructed 5,238 sanitation facilities nationwide, while 168 local government areas had been certified open defecation-free.

He also disclosed the completion of two National Water Quality Reference Laboratories in Asaba, Delta State, and Umuahia, Abia State, to strengthen water quality monitoring and public health safeguards.

The minister told lawmakers that the 2026 budget prioritises the completion of key dams and irrigation projects to boost agricultural productivity and support the federal government’s food security agenda.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to programmes such as the Sustainable Power and Irrigation Project for Nigeria (SPIN), the SURWASH programme, flood and drought mitigation initiatives, and the goal of ending open defecation by 2030.

Explaining progress on SPIN, Prof. Utsev said 26 states had so far met the federal government’s criteria to participate in the project, which aims to rehabilitate existing dams and irrigation infrastructure to scale up food production and enhance hydropower generation.

He expressed optimism that with adequate budgetary support, the ministry would complete ongoing projects, create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the overall well-being of Nigerians.

In their responses, the Chairman of the House Committee, Sada Soli, and his deputy, Muktar Chawal, assured the ministry of thorough legislative scrutiny and support to ensure the passage and effective implementation of the budget.

They stressed that oversight visits to dams and irrigation sites would enable lawmakers to independently assess project status and report their findings to the House in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Terhemen Oraduen, media aide to the Minister, in a statement on Monday, said the committee subsequently resolved to carry out the oversight visits in the coming weeks, signalling intensified legislative monitoring of water, sanitation and irrigation projects across the federation.