The federal government on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to providing clean and potable water, as it commenced the N18.9 billion rehabilitation and upgrading of the Buruku/Gboko water supply project in Benue State.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony at the Gboko Water Treatment Plant in Ameladu, described the project as a critical initiative that will ensure access to safe drinking water for residents of Buruku, Gboko, and surrounding areas.

"This project is a demonstration of the government's dedication to improving the lives of its citizens by providing essential amenities in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda," Utsev said.

He explained that originally conceived as the Gboko-Yandev Water Supply System, the project now renamed the Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Buruku/Gboko Water Supply Project will restore and expand existing water infrastructure.

The minister noted that the initiative aimed to benefit approximately 506,000 residents by reducing waterborne diseases and ensuring reliable water access, pointing out that the water will be sourced from the Katsina Ala River and transported over 17 kilometres for purification before distribution to Gboko, Mkar, and neighbouring communities.

Utsev further disclosed that the federal government awarded the N18.9 billion contract to Messrs Ceylon Construction Services Limited, with a targeted completion period of 18 months.

Earlier, the Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, represented by his deputy, Barr Sam Ode, lauded the federal government's intervention, noting that his administration has also committed N1.5 billion to rehabilitate the Katsina-Ala and Otobi water projects.