AfriPulse
•••Weak Infrastructure, Poor Investment Threaten Hygiene Situation
With over 213 million Nigerians lacking access to complete basic water, sanitation, and hygiene, (WASH) services, experts have decried the alarming and worsening WASH due to unplanned urban expansion, weak infrastructure, and poor government investment.
The experts spoke at the a media dialogue themed: “Accelerating Actions to Improve Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria,” held in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Information, on Wednesday.
One of them, Mr. Monday Johnson,United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) WASH Specialist, quoting a 2021 WASH report said only 10 percent of the Nigerians have access to complete basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services, using the global JMP definitions.
According to Johnson, over 90 percent of the population still lack access to complete basic water, sanitation, and hygiene, WASH, services based on the 2021 WASH NORM report.
The UNICEF WASH Specialist said, “The overall status of the WASH Sector in Nigeria is low. Only 10 percent of the population have access to complete basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services, using the global JMP definitions.
“Those living in rural areas are three times more disadvantaged than those in urban areas Those living in rural areas are three times more disadvantaged than those in urban areas.”
He warned that the country’s growing population and rapid urbanisation were deepening the WASH crisis.
He lamented that Nigeria’s cities are becoming overcrowded and under-resourced, with water and sanitation systems stretched beyond capacity. Johnson alerted that the projected population surge by 2050 could further cripple access to clean water and basic sanitation unless governments at all levels take urgent, coordinated action.
He identified Ekiti as one of the few states with an updated WASH policy, urging other states to emulate such commitment and ensure strict enforcement.
Johnson insisted that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental right and the cornerstone of public health.
“The driver of healthy living is the availability of good WASH facilities,” he said. “Government must increase funding, develop strong policies, and engage the private sector to close the service delivery gap.”
Johnson also called for a policy directive mandating public facilities such as filling stations, markets, and motor parks to provide clean water and sanitation services to discourage open defecation.
He recommended the establishment of a dedicated Urban Sanitation Coordination Unit under relevant ministries to institutionalise budgeting and implementation, mainstream urban sanitation into state development plans, and train sanitation officers and private operators for improved service delivery.
Johnson urged state governments to update and approve their WASH policies, create enabling environments for private sector participation, and develop full-chain sanitation models, covering containment, emptying, transport, treatment, and reuse, to ensure sustainable access to safe water and sanitation for all Nigerians.
His words, “We must understand and agree that more people are moving into urban areas, thereby overstressing the available sanitation and hygiene facilities. The urban centres are already overwhelmed, more people, fewer facilities.”
Blessing Ejiofor, UNICEF’s Communication Officer, also emphasised that access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a fundamental human right, calling for stronger commitment from both government and citizens to ensure no one is left behind.
On his part, Adegoke Ayodele, Director of Community Mobilisation and Hygiene Education, the Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (OYORUWASSA), highlighted progress made in the state through sustained efforts on WASH programmes, describing them as “success stories that must be built upon.”
In her goodwill message, Adeola Adewole, Programme Officer at the Oyo State Ministry of Information, urged journalists and media practitioners to use their platforms to advocate improved sanitation practices and policies across Nigeria.
“The media has a powerful role to play in driving behavioural change. We must continue to speak about WASH issues until they become a priority in every community,” Adewole added.
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Chioma Umeha
Chioma Umeha is a Health and Science Writer/Editor with Independent Newspapers Limited. She holds a M.A. degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from Lagos State University, B.Sc. degree in Mass Communication from Enugu State University of Science and Technology. She is a multiple award winning journalist and has attended several local and international workshops/trainings. She is a member of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Science and Public Health (SciPH) Journalism Group, Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, Journalists’ Alliance for PMTCT in Nigeria, Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) among others. On the religious circle, Umeha is a Sunday School Teacher and a Counsellor. She is happily married to Don Umeha and blessed with three lovely children.
Source: Independent.ng | Read the Full Story…
