A bold step was taken on Wednesday by the Abia state government to improve the health and sanitation of the people of the state. This happened when the State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti commissioned the Abia Integrated Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) Accelerated Programme (IWAP). Attached to it was also a solar power project aimed at providing reliable and renewable energy to health facilities in the state.
The IWAP project, which was commissioned in Umuahia, the state capital , was designed to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services in rural communities.
According to the Governor, the project is significant not only because of its scope but also due to its integrated approach, which combines sanitation, water, and reliable power supply.
“This is a great project. Because you cannot talk about sanitation. You cannot forbid open defecation if you don’t provide where people can use,” Otti said.
The solar power project, which was completed within the approved time frame, will power the Abia State Specialist and Diagnostic Center.
The system includes a 150 kVA solar power and 430 kilowatt-hour battery storage, with the grid acting as a backup. Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, explained that the project will ensure a reliable supply of electricity to the health facility, enabling it to provide world-class health services.
“This will go a long way in powering health facilities with solar energy and we’ve made the solar power system as the primary supply with the grid acting as a backup. Infact, the plan is that there will be no need for a generator for this facility,” Ikechukwu said.
The Governor expressed his delight at the project’s completion, noting that it aligns with his administration’s mandate of promoting energy and environmental sustainability.
“Now we have reached this milestone. And one of the most important comments we made is that this will be the major power supply to this center. And the grid will be a backup. This is solar. It is renewable,” he said.
THE WHISTLER also reports that the commissioning of the IWAP project and solar power system marks a significant step towards improving the health and well-being of Abia State residents, particularly in rural areas. With this development, the state is poised to enhance its healthcare delivery and environmental sustainability initiatives.
