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Tag Drinking Water Quality

Environment

Don expresses concern over poor sewerage system in Nigeria

Sewage
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Dec. 20, 2018 (NAN) Dr Emmanuel Akpabio, of the Department of Geography and Natural Resources Management, University of Uyo, has expressed worry over poor sewage system to manage water pollution in parts of the country.

Akpabio said this at a one-day National Workshop Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Understanding Science and Policy in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, Nigeria’s inability to evolve practical and context relevant policies for WASH has hampered efforts to secure and sustain improved performances, especially in rural areas.

He said it was a matter for regret that only Lagos, FCT and few states had functional sewage system, saying this was a big challenge to safe drinking water and sanitary services.

He said that in addressing the challenges of the sector, deliberate policies to promote safe disposal of waste, strengthening political commitment would be of greater advantage.

“Nigeria’s inability to evolve practical and context relevant policies for the WASH sector has hampered its efforts to secure and sustain improved performances most, especially in urban areas.

“It is a known fact that only limited area in Lagos, the FCT and few states have sewage system, this means a large number of states have not been able to sustain a functional sewerage system for their population.

“Within this context, the task of securing access to safe drinking water and sanitary services is transferred on to the ordinary citizens who have to depend on all forms of unimproved sources.”

Akpabio also called on all tiers of government to accelerate progress toward meeting the sanitation and hygiene needs of the populace.

He said that the recent declaration of emergency on water and sanitation sector had shown the highest political will to change the narratives.

Mrs Chizoba Opara, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, noted that there was the need to change the ‘business as usual ‘ doctrine if Nigeria would meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water and sanitation by 2030.

“The SDG goal six stipulates that there is a demand for WASH services to be provided in an adequate quantity and quality on premises and at an affordable price.

“Nigeria is among the nations in the world with the highest population of open defecators estimated at over 46 million, and 67 per cent of the population lack basic sanitation facilities.

“However, in order to ensure that this goal is met, with no one left behind, we must be committed to reconcile our actions and move forward as a collective effort to succeed.”

Opara added the recent inauguration of the National Action Plan for the Revitalisation of the WASH sector was an indication of the priority the present administration places to address these challenges.

Mrs Glory Otuojo, of the Development Impact Pathfinders Initiative, said that there was the need for Nigeria to embrace the Ecological Sanitation (ECOSAN) concept to end open defecation practice.

According to her, the ECOSAN concept is a new paradigm in sanitation that recognises human excreta and water from households not as a waste but as resources that can be recovered, treated, where necessary, and safely used again.

She noted that Ecological sanitation systems offered a range of low cost to high tech sanitation options, hygienically safe, comfortable to use, environmentally friendly and often more economic than conventional systems.

“In addition, they ideally enable a complete recovery of nutrients in household wastewater and their reuse in agriculture.’’

In this way, they help preserve soil fertility and safeguard long-term food security, while minimising the consumption and pollution of water resources.”

Otuojo said that as the global population and urban communities increases, sanitation crisis increase, hence the need to promote policies to improve lives of Nigerians. (NAN)
TAK/GY
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Edited by Grace Yussuf

Environment

Gishiri residents appeal to FCTA for provision of water, basic amenities

Gishiri residents appeal to FCTA for provision of water, basic amenities

 

Water
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, May 28, 2018 (NAN) Residents of Gishiri Community in Abuja Municipal Area Council have called on relevant authorities in the FCT Administration to provide potable water and other basic amenities for the benefit of inhabitants.

 

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in an interview that inadequate water supply and basic amenities made life difficult and unbearable for them in the community.

 

According to them, it is important for the FCT Administration and philanthropists, to provide a source of potable water to reduce the number of children dying from water-borne diseases in the village.

 

Some of the residents, who spoke with NAN, said women and girls usually spend long hours searching for water in distant streams and rivers.

 

They said that this was not giving them the space to source for their livelihoods.

 

A civil servant, who resides in the community, Yakubu Saleh, bemoaned the long hours spent in search of water.

 

He said this challenge was causing loss of man hours that should have been used to source for means of livelihood.

 

He said there were no recreation centres and other relaxation spots in the community, which was close to the nations’ capital, saying this trend needed to be reversed.

 

“We don’t have water at all, we go to far places to get water from the streams and rivers, the water is dirty, but that is the only source of water we have here.

 

“Since it is the only source of water in the community, the people are usually left with the option of using the water the way it is.

 

“We want the Federal Government and the FCT Administration to come to our rescue; so that our children will stop falling ill from preventable disease and water borne diseases.”

 

Saleh said children from the community usually fall sick from cholera and diarrhoea, saying this had led to most of them not being punctual at schools.

 

Another resident, Cecilia Audu, told NAN that she had to trek long distances before getting water for domestic use, saying this had caused untold hardship to most women.

 

She said women in the community gave birth at home and through the use of traditional birth attendants.

 

She expressed regret that the only health centre in their area had no infrastructure for delivery to take place.

 

According to her, a large number of them have died while giving birth, saying in most cases, the children died due to lack of emergency response to arrest pregnancy complications.

 

She said due to lack of potable water, there was an increase in activates of water vendors, known as ‘mairuwa’, who use the opportunity to make money, selling a 20-litre jerry can for N50.

 

Audu said the quality of the water sold by the water vendors could not be ascertained as that was the only available option.

 

“Although, some houses have boreholes, it is still not free, even if you want to fetch the water, you may wasting time because of the queue, and pay maybe N20 or N50, depending on your containers.”

 

Another resident, Adama Shuaibu, called on relevant authorities to provide access roads to the community, saying there were difficulties in conveying farm products to the markets.

 

“We need road in this community, cars find it difficult to get into this place, and we have to park at a distant place and use motorcycles.

 

“It is very difficult to take our goods into the market; some of us have fallen on several occasions, while climbing motorcycles into town,” Shuaibu said.

 

 

The Manager, Hope of Survival Orphanage, Mr Cephas Shedrach, said there was the need for private individuals to help in the provision of basic needs to the orphanage.

 

He called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to help in the improvement of lives of all Nigerians. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/AFA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide

 

Environment

FG launches national standard for drinking water quality

NAN-AE-4
Water
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Feb. 22, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Government on Thursday launched the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality to promote the availability of safe drinking water for all Nigerians.

 

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, at the launching ceremony in Abuja, said that the availability of clean water supply was the focus of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

 

The Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality sets limits for water contaminants that are hazardous to health and also provides guidelines for meeting the mandatory limits for safe water.

 

Quoting a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, the minister said that it was estimated that about 60 per cent of all diseases in developing countries were related to consumption of unsafe water and poor sanitation.

 

Adamu said that diseases related to drinking water contamination represented a major burden on national health care delivery.

 

He, therefore, called for immediate interventions from all relevant stakeholders to improve the quality of drinking water for the benefit of all Nigerians.

 

Adamu said that Nigeria had made some progress in expanding the citizens’ access to improved water supply with the current access standing at 67 per cent.

 

He, however, underscored the need for the nation to make concerted efforts to meet the Goal Six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

 

The minister said that it was saddening that not much had been achieved in respect of enforcement of standards, adding that water producers still operated without due regard to the quality of water they supplied to the citizens.

 

Adamu said that the ministry was working to speed up the upgrading of the water quality laboratories in Lagos, Akure, Kano, Minna, Enugu and Gombe, as part of efforts to mount water quality surveillance and enforce standards.

 

He also said that efforts were underway to finalise the Water Quality Management Strategy which sought to harmonise the implementation of all water quality procedures.

 

The minister, nonetheless, called for the speedy passage of the National Water Resources Bill into law.

 

Mr Emmanuel Awe, Director, Water Quality Supply and Sanitation in the ministry, called for immediate intervention from all stakeholders to revamp the nation’s water resources sector.

 

He said that it had been reported that chemicals such as Arsenic had been polluting groundwater sources, saying the development was as a result of the increased use of pesticides and fertilisers in agricultural projects.

 

Also speaking, Mr Osita Aboloma, Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), expressed satisfaction with the wide acceptance and use of the Standard for Drinking Water Quality to improving the people’s well-being.

 

Aboloma, who was represented by Mrs Elsie Ofili, commended the water resources ministry for its role in spearheading the public awareness campaign for monitoring water quality and effective management of the nation’s water resources.

 

“The responsibility for lead institution in enforcing the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality NIS 554:2015 had been reassigned to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

 

“Other significant changes in the standard include the revision period, the maximum allowable limits for magnesium and the criteria for compliance and enforcement.

 

“We will keep supporting the ministry in its effort to promote access to safe water for all Nigerians,” he said.

 

News Agency of Nigeria recalls that in 2005, the National Council on Water Resources recognised the need to produce a national standard for drinking water quality for the country.

 

The Nigerian Industrial Standard for Potable Water, which was developed by SON and the National Guidelines and Standards for Drinking Water Quality in Nigeria, however, failed to garner the acceptance of all stakeholders. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe