NGO urges states to prioritise WASH issues
NGO urges states to prioritise WASH issues
Commitment
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Nov. 9, 2018 (NAN) Mr Benson Attah, the National Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), has appealed to state governments to prioritise improving access to water and sanitation.
Attah made the appeal at the opening of a one-day stakeholders’ advocacy and capacity building workshop in Abuja on Friday.
He said there was the need for states to begin to take the health and wellbeing of its populace seriously, as poor access to potable water and sanitation had huge impact on health, wellbeing, education and economic development.
According to the coordinator of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), there is the need for states to prioritise provision of these needs.
He stressed that it was saddening to see that the practice of open defecation still occurred on a large scale in the country.
Commending the Federal Government for its efforts towards improving access to water and sanitation, Attah called for immediate implementation of progammes that would reverse lack of access.
“Nigeria is presently being shielded by India. India is number one in countries with the largest open defecators; once India moves out, Nigeria will be exposed to that embarrassing position.
“We hope we are able to overtake India before it moves out of that list; it is saddening that Nigeria, the giant of Africa, is leading Africa in countries with the largest open defecation statistics.
“Nigeria is the second in the world behind India in terms of having the highest number of people defecating in the open; while in Africa, it ranks first.
“The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017 report reveals that 28.5 per cent of the population practice open defecation and 110 million people lack access to improved sanitation,’’ he said.
Attah said NEWSAN would continue to carry out advocacy to the various tiers of government to change the narratives for improved livelihood and hygiene promotion.
NEWSAN coordinator said that its activities has led to no fewer than five open defecation-free local government areas, saying that this was done deliberately by holding the political executives accountable to its citizens.
Attah commended the efforts of its members in Benue, saying conflicts and displacement had led to a reversal of progress already attained as one of its local governments ought to have been declared open defecation-free.
Kate Kanebi, the Programme Officer, Health, Nutrition and Resilience, European Union (EU), commended the group for the timely meeting, but expressed the EU’s concern about large water utilities breaking down one year after construction.
Kanebi said the EU had carved out a close relationship with NEWSAN in order to meet the targets to see that they are the section of the society that would drive change for development.
She urged NEWSAN to bring in more CSOs to increase outreach towards making tiers of government accountable and to begin to prioritise access to potable water and sanitation.
According to her, the recent declaration of a state of emergency in the water and sanitation sector has shown the highest political will towards reversing the trend of poor services.
Kanebi called for strengthened collaboration and commitment.
The National Coordinator, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, Dr Priscilla Achakpa, said the organisation was working to ensure that there was a world where no one was left behind in the issues of water and sanitation.
Achakpa, represented by Mrs Ruth During, said that strengthened collaboration was needed from all stakeholders towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Six on water and sanitation by 2030.
The coordinator urged all participants to act as ambassadors to hold all tiers of government accountable for promoting quality of life.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a projection of the Joint Monitoring Progress Report 2015 and MICS 2017 data revealed that Nigeria is unlikely to achieve the target of completely eradicating open defecation by 2025 and universal use of safe sanitation by 2030.
According to a World Bank Report (2012), about 122,000 Nigerians including 87,000 children under-five years die annually from diarrhoea; nearly 90 per cent being directly attributed to water, sanitation and hygiene. (NAN)
TAK/COF/AFA
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Edited by Oluyinka Fadare/Felix Ajide