Govt urged to prioritise WASH facilities in Nigerian schools

Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as part of efforts to raise a healthy and productive generation and also ensure that every school becomes a place of dignity, safety and opportunity.

The advice was given at the 33rd LAPO Annual Development Forum themed “Safe Water, Healthy Learning: Advancing WASH in Nigerian Schools,” which was held on Thursday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

According to the 2021 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) Report, published in June 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the National Bureau of Statistics, with support from UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank, only 37% of schools in Nigeria have access to basic water supply services, only 35% have access to basic sanitation services while just 30% provide basic hygiene services with handwashing facilities, soap and water. The report also showed that only about 15% of schools have budgeted funds for maintaining their WASH facilities.

Speaking at the event, the special guest of honour and UNESCO Representative to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Head of the UNESCO Office in Abuja, Dr Isaías Barreto da Rosa, said there must be functional toilets in schools to aid and promote learning, saying no school-age child should be left out of school because of absence of WASH facilities in schools.

Represented by the Head of Education Sector at UNESCO Abuja, Oladeji Adeyemi, Dr da Rosa said UNESCO’s duty was to support member countries and especially the government in doing the right thing for its citizens.

The UNESCO chief commended LAPO’s initiatives in improving lives into practical actions for families and communities across Nigeria and creating a forum where policies are discussed to enhance lives and living of the people.

He also urged government to take into consideration WASH facilities that will accommodate People with Disabilities (PWDs) and also build teachers’ capacity to support the children while in school.

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He said, “On behalf of UNESCO, I bring warm regards and sincere congratulations to Lift Above Poverty Organisation on this 33rd edition of its annual development forum. UNESCO exists to support member countries and Nigeria is one of the 194 member countries of UNESCO. Our primary responsibility is to support the government to ensure that the government is doing what it is supposed to do in the right way in such a way that it is reportable to the United Nations. This year we’re talking about safe water, healthy learning, advancing WASH in Nigerian schools. It goes to the heart of the truth that we cannot ignore.

“A child cannot learn well in school that cannot keep them safe and healthy. If a school cannot keep a child well, safe and healthy, you can be sure they will only come to school, they’re not learning anything because their minds are not there. When a school has no safe drinking water, children will fall ill and miss classes. When there are no separate and functional toilets, girls, especially adolescents, managing menstruation, stay home or drop out quietly. Sustainable Development Goal 4, especially target 4A called on all countries to build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender-sensitive with basic drinking water, sanitation and washing among the core measures.

Also speaking on the theme, the keynote speaker, Mrs Zainab Ibrahim Budah, a senior learning and development specialist from the Federal Ministry of Education, among others, recommend the integration of hygiene behaviour education into the national curriculum, training and support of teachers as hygiene champions, increase in government and donor investment in school WASH, institutionalisation of hygiene clubs and peer education in schools, inclusion of WASH behaviour change in state and local government budgets.

In their separate remarks, Dr Godwin Ehigiamusuoe, Mrs Faith Osasuwa and Dr (Mrs) Oyefemi Obazee, the Founder; President and Chairman, Board of Directors of LAPO, respectively, said the organisation remains committed to improving lives through creating opportunities for every child to learn in a safe and healthy environment.