Uniform sanitation policies will address Nigeria WASH sector — Stakeholders

Stakeholders in the Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) sector have called for uniform sanitation policies that will address the issue of sanitation across the three tiers of government in Nigeria.

This was the topic of discussion at a validation meeting tagged “The Situation Assessment of Sanitation Policies at The National Level,” organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in conjunction with WaterAid Nigeria, held on Wednesday at the Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.

According to the stakeholders, good sanitation and hygiene policies must not only have a clear vision with clear objectives, targets, and principles that are understood by all stakeholders, but they must also consider the needs of women, girls, the vulnerable, people living with disabilities (PLWDs), as well as those in rural areas, small towns, and urban centres.

They argued that with a population of more than 220 million people, out of which 111 million are male and 108 million female, with 113 million of the population in urban centres and 101 million in rural areas at a 2.41 per cent growth rate, sanitation policies must take into account regulatory frameworks that ensure the development of safe sanitation systems and the delivery of services that comply with prescribed laws, regulations, rules, by-laws, guidelines, and standards.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Evelyn Mere, said the policy will help the government align its budget and see a reduction in duplicity while strengthening the WASH sector.

She added that the standalone policy will contribute to the National Action Plan as well as revitalise the sector.

“WaterAid chose this path because, as an organisation, one of the pillars we are encouraging is strengthening the system whereby there is multisectoral coordination and collaboration.

And this platform, which is the National Task Group Presentation, is key because of its role. We have all the line ministries present.

It’s a good convening platform to be able to get all the parties to discuss this issue. And with this one policy, the recommendations from the consultants are that we should have a standalone policy that will encompass all other facets of sanitation and hygiene that we need to consider.

“They are not discarding the old policies, but they are saying that if we have one policy that addresses sanitation and hygiene, we will be able to address unique issues around schools, primary healthcare centres, tertiary healthcare centres, and public places.

If one person needs a one-stop shop regarding policies around sanitation and hygiene, it is going to be easy if we go down this route.

“With the funding we have from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we feel this is important because it will strengthen the sector.

It will contribute to the National Action Plan, which is revitalising the sector. It will help the government align its budget, and we will see a reduction in duplicity. Roles will be much clearer if we begin to talk on this platform.

These are the key things that WaterAid is keen to support, and that is why we have this meeting,” Mere, who was represented by Nanpet Chuktu, Head of WASH, WaterAid Nigeria, told the Nigerian Tribune.

In her own submission, the Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation (FMWRS), Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, said the importance of a standalone sanitation policy is good for Nigeria and cannot be overemphasised.

This policy, she said, will aid the government’s budgetary process and help attract funds from local and international donors.

“There’s so much funding going into water; going into sanitation and hygiene is suffering. And so if we have a standalone policy, this will help to attract not just the government’s budgetary process to bring in money into sanitation, but donors will also come in, and that is why we need to have more funding and be able to achieve good results in sanitation and guide the policy formulation process,” Ugoh said.

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