Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has stepped up efforts to address the state’s persistent water shortage by rehabilitating the Oferekpe Water Scheme, a major project on which more than ₦16 billion had been spent as of 2013 before it fell into disuse.
The state Commissioner for Water Resources, Victor Chukwu, disclosed the development on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, during an interaction with journalists in Abakaliki. He said the Nwifuru administration was prioritising the recovery of existing water infrastructure rather than abandoning older projects and starting entirely new ones.
Chukwu said the government had also rehabilitated the Ezillo Water Scheme and was working to restore the Old Abakaliki Water Scheme as part of a wider response to the water crisis.
The approach is intended to increase the volume of treated water available to residents while expanding distribution networks to populated areas and major public facilities.
However, the rehabilitation of the schemes faces technical and infrastructure challenges, including damaged pipelines, leakages, vandalism and equipment deterioration caused by years of inactivity.
The Oferekpe facility represents one of the state’s largest existing investments in water infrastructure.
Chukwu said the scheme had consumed more than ₦16 billion by 2013 but was subsequently left unused for years. The state government therefore considers rehabilitation more economical than abandoning the existing infrastructure and building another large-scale scheme from scratch.
The commissioner’s argument is based on continuity in public investment: infrastructure that has already consumed substantial public funds can potentially deliver value if the remaining technical problems are resolved.
The government is consequently directing resources toward:
- Rehabilitation of existing water infrastructure.
- Repairs to electromechanical equipment.
- Completion of outstanding works.
- Procurement of water-treatment materials.
- Repairs to damaged pipelines.
- Expansion of water distribution networks.
Chukwu said the Oferekpe scheme could resume full operations once an obstruction preventing water from reaching its central reservoir is addressed.
Engineers are expected to undertake the necessary intervention when water levels in the Azuiyioku River fall during the dry season, allowing access to the affected area.
While the Oferekpe project remains under rehabilitation, the Ezillo Water Scheme has already returned to operation.
According to Chukwu, the facility is supplying water to parts of Abakaliki, although distribution remains affected by problems along the pipeline network.
Years of disuse have contributed to rust and leakages in sections of the system, reducing the effectiveness of the supply network even where treatment and pumping facilities are functioning.
The government therefore faces a two-part challenge: producing treated water and ensuring that the infrastructure needed to transport it to consumers remains functional.
The commissioner said the administration was addressing these maintenance problems as part of its wider water intervention.
The state is also working to restore the Old Abakaliki Water Scheme, where sections of the pipeline connecting its low-lift and high-lift systems were damaged during subsequent development activities.
Some equipment at the facilities was also reportedly vandalised or cannibalised while the schemes remained inactive.
Beyond rehabilitating treatment plants, the Nwifuru administration is expanding the network through which potable water reaches consumers.
Chukwu disclosed that water reticulation had been extended to the International Market and other markets in Abakaliki, with the government seeking to ensure that major public facilities have access to a direct water supply.
The ministry’s broader objective is to extend reticulation to populated areas across the state, including communities outside the state capital.
This strategy is important because restoring a water treatment plant alone does not guarantee household access. Pipes, pumping systems and distribution networks must also function effectively for treated water to reach end users.
The commissioner said the government would intensify reticulation work in the coming months, with attention to both urban and rural communities.
The state is therefore combining rehabilitation of old schemes with expansion of the distribution network rather than relying on a single source of supply.
One of the major difficulties confronting Ebonyi’s water programme is the condition of its ageing distribution infrastructure.
At Oferekpe, an earlier pipeline problem prevented water from reaching the central reservoir. The issue has complicated attempts to bring the scheme back into full operation.
Previous reporting on the project also documented damage to major water pipelines around the Azuiyioku Bridge, including large-diameter pipes affected during road-related construction work.
The broader problem extends beyond one damaged pipeline. Long periods without operation have exposed infrastructure to deterioration, while vandalism has affected equipment and installations.
These problems mean that restoring Ebonyi’s water supply requires sustained investment after rehabilitation work ends.
Without adequate maintenance and protection of pipelines and equipment, the state could face a cycle in which major schemes are repaired only to deteriorate again.
The water intervention reflects a broader infrastructure policy being promoted by the Nwifuru administration: complete or revive viable projects inherited from previous governments where doing so can protect public investment.
Chukwu argued that government projects should not be discarded simply because a new administration takes office.
The approach has particular relevance to the Oferekpe scheme because rebuilding an equivalent facility from scratch could require considerably more resources than restoring infrastructure for which billions of naira have already been spent.
The administration’s challenge now is to demonstrate that rehabilitation will produce reliable and sustainable water delivery rather than another temporary improvement.
That will depend on the completion of technical repairs, effective distribution, adequate treatment supplies and protection of infrastructure from vandalism.
Ebonyi’s water challenge has persisted despite successive interventions, highlighting the difference between constructing water infrastructure and maintaining a dependable public water system.
In late 2025, the state government outlined a three-pronged strategy involving rehabilitation and construction of water schemes, expansion of reticulation and increased water production and supply. At the time, officials said the Ezillo scheme was operating, while other projects were at different stages of completion.
The current rehabilitation programme therefore builds on an approach already adopted by the state rather than representing an entirely new policy.
For residents, the critical measure will be whether these investments translate into regular access to safe and affordable potable water.
The immediate priorities include:
- Completing repairs at Oferekpe.
- Fixing damaged distribution pipelines.
- Maintaining the operational Ezillo scheme.
- Restoring the Old Abakaliki scheme.
- Expanding reticulation beyond the state capital.
- Protecting water infrastructure from vandalism.
- Maintaining treatment and pumping equipment.
If those measures are sustained, the revival of the ₦16 billion Oferekpe Water Scheme could become a significant step towards reducing Ebonyi’s dependence on alternative water sources and improving public water access across the state.
