Jessica Onyegbula
The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated the PVWater Project at Dutse, Alhaji Primary Health Care Centre in Bwari Area Council of the FCT.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, who inaugurated the project in Abuja, stressed that the project would help revitalise primary healthcare centres in the country.
Ehanire, who was represented by Dr Omobolale Olowu, Director, Public Private Partnerships, Federal Ministry of Health said that with PVWater, the prevalence of water borne diseases would decline significantly.
He explained that the PVWater project was a disinfected safe drinking water using autonomous solar electricity powered systems.
He said that the 5 KV Solar Photovoltaik system would use part of its energy to drive an electric pump groundwater, filter it and pass it between a stack of electrodes to generate small amounts of chlorine that would kill bacteria in the water.
According to him, the amount of chlorine is carefully controlled and its concentration will be enough to ensure safe drinking conditions over longer periods of time.
The minister said that the technology was developed over ten years ago in Germany and over 50 systems had been installed in about 10 countries worldwide.
”There are about 10,000 Primary Health Care Centres in Nigeria and if the first system selling safe drinking water and electricity to its customers is successful, the company will install five more systems in Abuja.
”PVWater and its major investors will also start an educational programme where Technical Universities in Germany can cooperate with Universities in Nigeria to further improve the technology of solar electricity and safe drinking water.
”We will also make available this technology to the planning institutions of the country to use as one of the most powerful tools to deliver energy and drinking water for increasing standard of living,” he said.
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, said that the project would ensure that the health centre had uninterrupted power and safe, potable water.
Bello, who was represented by Adamu Abubakar, FCT Health Secretary, said that the PVWater International funded the project 100 per cent.
He also said that the PVWater International was expected to build, operate and later transfer to the management of the health facility.
He added that the service would be provided at a minimal cost, to maintain the equipment and sustain the services.(NAN)
