UNICEF urges Kano govt to declare state of emergency on open-defecation

THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, to declare a state of emergency on waste management and open defecation in the state.

Stella Okafor-Terver, the UNICEF WASH Officer in Kano Field Office, made the call on Thursday at a one-day workshop organised in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the Kano State Government.

Okafor-Terver said the call became necessary in order to achieve and sustain Local Government Area (LGA)-wide or state-wide are Open Defecation Free (ODF) in Kano.

She explained that the stakeholders meeting was aimed to ensure the sustainability of water sanitation and hygiene and to draft a plan that would assist the State government in ensuring the sustainability of water sanitation and hygiene.

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According to her, if such is achieved, the four benefiting local governments, Takai, Madobi, Gaya and Kabo would sustain the good work of the Federal, Kano state governments and the UNICEF “even in the absence of the donor agency.

Okafor-Terver explained that to achieve such goal, UNICEF in collaboration with the State government had been doing so much to ensure free open defecation across all communities in the state.

While commending the state government for releasing the counterpart funding, she also called on the government to look into the pending unsettled funds for the sustainability of the collaboration.

In his remarks, the Managing Director, Kano State Rural, Urban Water Sanitation Agency (RUWASA), Mr Ibrahim Bichi, commended the UNICEF for organising such workshop.

According to him, all the achievements recorded by the agency were made possible through the support of UNICEF.

He explained that the essence of the workshop was also to sustain the gains of Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme (WSSSRP) II in the State.

Bichi said the Kano State government was committed to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-6) to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.”

According to him, the programme tagged ‘Exit Workshop for EU/UNICEF WSSSRP II programme’ started in 2012 and has scored quite a number of achievements in the State especially in Takai, Gaya, Madobi and Kabo LGAs.