The Abia government says the state has emerged as one of the six states in the country selected to benefit from the World Bank-funded Sustainable Urban, Rural and Water and Sanitation Hygiene project.

Information commissioner Okey Kanu disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on Monday.

Mr Kanu said the multimillion-dollar project would support water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes to improve access to potable water and sanitation services in Abia.

He added that Abia’s choice for the project reflected growing confidence by international development partners in the state government’s reforms and infrastructure drive.

He also announced the resumption of the USAID Small-Town WASH project, which had been suspended by the American Government earlier.

According to Kanu, the project has secured new funding from Mercy Corps and will focus on the rehabilitation of urban and rural water schemes across the state.

Speaking on developments in the power sector, he said the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority had issued three interim licences to three companies: New Era, Aba Power, and Geometric Power.

He said that the Ohafia Power Restoration Project had reached 85 per cent completion and was expected to be delivered before the end of the fourth quarter of the year.

The commissioner further disclosed that the installation of a 1.8 megawatt micro-grid solar power for the central bus terminals in Umuahia and Aba had commenced.

He said the initiative formed part of the Abia government’s integrated clean energy transition programme.

(NAN)