Investing in water, sanitation will improve GDP, PDM guber candidate declares

BAUCHI State gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) in the 2019 general elections, Alhaji Ahmed Iliyasu has declared that investing in water, sanitation and hygiene will tremendously improve the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state considering the importance of such an investment.

Ahmed Illiyasu made the assertion during the signing of Citizen Engagement Pledge card for governorship candidates in the 2019 general elections when the Vote4Wash campaign team comprising Network of Societies on Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) and members of WASHMedia visited him in Bauchi on Tuesday.

The gubernatorial candidate who stressed the importance of WASH issues in the society opined that “Investing in adequate drinking water, improved sanitation, and hygiene are all essential ingredients for economic viability that will ensure human health and improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of any state or nation.

According to him, “Water is life, therefore water provision is one of my cardinal programmes to the people of Bauchi state if God’s willing I become the next Governor of Bauchi state at the end of the general elections. Provision of potable water, sanitation generates substantial benefits for public health, economy and the environment.

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He added that “Improving upon water and sanitation services will bring economic gains will also help in building resilience and increasing climate variability.”

Ahmed Iliyasu also said that “in order to generate significant benefits for public health, the environment and for certain economic sectors such as fisheries, livestock, tourism and property markets, providing potable water and hygiene environment is required because it will reduce intestinal worm infections, diarrheal diseases, environmental enteropathy which lead to a poor nutritional status and cholera which is transmitted via contaminated water.”

He further said that “we also have plans to provide Dams across the state for the use of domestic animals, livestock and irrigation farming that will boost the economy, through exporting cash crops outside the country from the state”.

The Gubernatorial candidate, however, regretted that that poor sanitation and inadequate water supply play a role in keeping the state and the nation poor.

“The burden of water-related diseases curtails efforts to improve public health, such as diarrhoea – most often related to unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene – is one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of five,” he said.

Ahmed Iliyasu then commended the Vote4Wash campaign team and WaterAid Nigeria for engaging candidates on improving water, sanitation and hygiene policies in the state.

Earlier, leader of the team, Ezekiel Sukumun explained that the campaign is non-partisan but simply creating awareness on the need to prioritize WASH issues for the good of the citizens.

He then commended the PDM gubernatorial candidate for signing the citizen engagement pledge card which he said will serve as a reminder to him and his party when eventually elected.