The Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Rt. Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, earlier in the week undertook a fruitful visit to Istanbul, Turkey to inspect the Wastewater Treatment Station at Duzce University. He also explored potential collaboration opportunities with GI Aqua Tech Company, which received the Global Award in London for Water Purification of the Year 2024, while strengthening relationships and collaborations with Turkish counterparts in the water and sanitation sector.
Goronyo and his delegation toured the facility, gaining valuable insights into its operations, technological advancements, and best practices. The station’s efficiency and effectiveness in treating wastewater were impressive, and discussions were held on potential adaptations for Nigeria’s water treatment infrastructure in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Minister further held productive discussions with GI Aqua Tech representatives, exploring potential collaboration areas, including technology transfer and capacity building, joint project development and implementation, knowledge sharing and expertise exchange, as well as utilizing waste products to boost agricultural productivity.
The visit yielded several outcomes, including collaboration between the National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna and Duzce University, Turkey.
Other outcomes revolved around enhanced knowledge of cutting-edge wastewater treatment technologies, potential partnership opportunities with GI Aqua Tech for future projects in Nigeria, strengthened relationships with Turkish counterparts in the water and sanitation sector, and identification of areas for future collaboration and capacity building in the sector.
A case was also made for the application of waste products to boost agricultural productivity in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and collaborating with irrigation and water supply departments for improvements in agriculture and water supply.