Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima (L, front) announces the commissioning of the Karu Satellite Town Water Supply Network in Karu, Nigeria, June 22, 2026. (Photos: Xinhua)
ABUJA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese construction firm has completed a major water supply project in Karu, a rapidly growing satellite town of Nigeria's capital Abuja, bringing treated municipal water to thousands of residents.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Monday commissioned the Karu Satellite Town Water Supply Network, which was completed within 10 months by Chinese engineering firm CGC Nigeria Limited.
The project draws water from an existing reservoir and includes more than 194 km of pipeline networks, linking over 1,000 distribution lines across the communities. It also involved the installation of over 100 major control valves to improve water distribution across the area.
In his remarks delivered at the commissioning ceremony, Tinubu said the project reflected the government's commitment to extending basic public services beyond the city center to surrounding satellite towns.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike said the project was a direct outcome of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and Tinubu's state visit to China, during which agreements were reached with CGC Nigeria Limited to improve infrastructure in Abuja's satellite towns.
Commending the Chinese firm for completing the project ahead of schedule, Wike urged residents to safeguard the new water facilities and ensure their sustainable use.
According to Save the Children, an international children's charity, more than 161 million people in Nigeria rely on contaminated water sources, with about 70 percent of Nigerian children lacking access to water.
With a population of more than 242 million, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country.
A local resident turns on a tap to check the water flow at the commissioning ceremony of the Karu Satellite Town Water Supply Network in Karu, Nigeria, June 22, 2026.