China is to construct 598 boreholes in 18 of the 37 Nigerian states including the capital, Abuja, this year to support the country's water supply program.  

This is disclosed by Nigerian Water Resources Minister Mukhtari Shagari at this year's World Water Day Celebration in the central state of Kogi Tuesday, said the official News Agency of Nigeria Wednesday.

According to the minister, the support was top of the agenda discussed with the Chinese government during his recent trip to that country.

"The Chinese government has also agreed to engage its companies in the development of irrigation in the country this year," he said.

He said that Nigeria had accepted another offer from the Chinese government for the construction and rehabilitation of small and large dams currently slated for the National Water Supply Program and irrigation.

Other programs were being implemented to optimize the utilization of 30 billion cubic meter of impounded water for power generation and regional water scheme.

"We encourage state and local governments to contribute their counterpart funding that lead to an increase in the water supply coverage from 35 to 65 percent within six years," Shagari added.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2005)