Five Firms Battle for Jalingo Water Project
Five companies have entered the race for a major water infrastructure project aimed at improving the distribution of potable water across Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The firms submitted bids for the proposed interconnection of reservoirs under the Jalingo Primary Water Supply Scheme with the city’s existing water distribution network.
The project is being implemented under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project and is expected to address a critical gap between water stored in primary reservoirs and its distribution to households, businesses and public institutions across Jalingo. �
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Five Companies Enter the Race
The companies competing for the contract are PREZZO SHED Investment Limited, Primate Venture Limited, Thomas Chase Limited, HYSES/RIBEIRO JV and RIT-BEULAII Engineering Services Limited.
Their bids were formally opened on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Taraba State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in Jalingo.
Representatives of the participating companies and relevant government officials witnessed the exercise.
The bid opening represents another stage in the procurement process and does not mean that any of the five companies has already secured the contract.
Project Targets Jalingo Water Distribution
At the heart of the project is a major challenge confronting public water supply: producing or storing water is not enough if there is no effective infrastructure to move it to consumers.
The proposed work is designed to connect reservoirs under the Jalingo Primary Water Supply Scheme to the existing distribution infrastructure.
If successfully executed, the interconnection could strengthen the capacity of the existing network to move water from the reservoirs to different parts of the state capital.
For residents who have struggled with unreliable public water supply, the project could become an important intervention if it proceeds successfully from procurement to actual implementation.
Jalingo’s Expansion Raises Water Demand
The project comes as Jalingo continues to experience population growth and expansion of residential settlements.
As new neighbourhoods emerge, pressure on existing public infrastructure has increased.
Water supply is among the essential services affected by that growth.
Residents in different parts of the metropolis have at various times depended on alternative water sources when public supply is inadequate or unavailable.
That makes investment in both water production and distribution increasingly important.
Even where sufficient water is available at reservoirs, consumers cannot benefit fully without an efficient network capable of delivering it to homes and communities.
Ministry Promises Transparent Process
Permanent Secretary of the Taraba State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Aminu Ayuba, said the opening of the bids marked another step towards the eventual award of the contract.
Ayuba expressed confidence that the procurement process would be conducted in an orderly and transparent manner.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring that whichever company eventually emerges carries out the project according to the required specifications and standards.
For the government, the objective is not simply to award a contract but to ensure that the eventual project serves the purpose for which it was conceived.
ACReSAL: No Winner Yet
Taraba State ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Dr. Clement Yakubu Giwa, also assured the participating companies that the bids would be subjected to professional evaluation.
According to him, technical requirements and other relevant criteria will be considered before determining the company qualified to proceed.
He emphasised that opening the bids should not be interpreted as awarding the contract to any of the firms.
ACReSAL, he said, remains committed to transparency and best practices throughout the procurement process.
All participating companies are expected to receive equal treatment during the evaluation.
Attention Shifts to Technical Evaluation
With the bid-opening stage completed, attention will now turn to the evaluation of submissions from the five companies.
The process will determine which bidder satisfies the required technical and other procurement conditions.
After that stage, the appropriate procurement procedures are expected to continue towards an eventual contract award and commencement of work.
For Jalingo residents, however, securing a contractor will only be one part of the process.
The real test will be whether the project is completed to the required standard and ultimately improves water distribution.
Residents Await Results
The proposed reservoir interconnection has raised expectations because reliable water supply remains an important infrastructure need in the rapidly expanding state capital.
Residents will now be watching the procurement process closely — from technical evaluation and selection of a contractor to commencement and completion of the project.
For now, none of the five companies has been declared the winner.
The success of the intervention will ultimately be measured not by the number of companies competing for the contract, but by whether the completed infrastructure delivers more reliable water to the people of Jalingo.
