As part of measures to ensure improved Water Sanitation and Hygiene the WaterAid Nigeria has again engaged journalists CSOs and relevant stakeholders.
The exercise which was held virtually afforded participants the opportunity to brainstorm on how best to achieve the object while the project handled by WaterAid were reviewed.
Speaking during the programme Country Director of WaterAid in Nigeria, Evelyn Mere urged Governments at all levels to continue to ensure increased investment in Water and Sanitation Hygiene so as to check the spread of disease and guarantee safe and healthy society.
Evelyn Mere explained that though she was delighted that the projects were successfully delivered on its objectives, the fact remains that proper hygiene should be a day to day habit among government and the governed.
Mrs Mere announces that vigorous work to sustain and consolidate on the gains of the project and accelerate universal hygiene to WASH by 2030 would be carried out.
She said “We urge our implementing civil society partners to continue to advocate for improved WASH services in their states and to promote citizen engagement to deliver on sustainable WASH services.
“We recognise Bauchi State’s provision of an additional 102 handwashing facilities, Ekiti State’s improvement of water access in 4 markets and Benue State’s contribution of 4 million naira which enabled an additional 6,000 hygiene packs to be provided to households.
“I want to encourage the governments of the states where we implemented the project to continue to prioritise hygiene access and to ensure increased investment in the WASH sector to cater to the needs of residents in their states.
“In addition to increasing allocation for the WASH sector, we must ensure that the allocated funds are targeted effectively to ensure a ripple effect resulting in better health, socio-economic, gender and education outcomes.
“We sincerely appreciate the Heineken Africa Foundation for the tremendous financial support received for the successful implementation of the project.”
In a remark, the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation General Manager, Suzanne Giele said Water, sanitation and hygiene have been on their agenda for many years and expressed happiness that they were able to scale up and accelerate efforts, noting that handwashing with soap not only helps to protect against the spread of COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases.
“I am thrilled that together with WaterAid, we have been able to make a difference for communities during these very challenging times and after.”
“It is crucial that we all continue to join hands to uphold the basic human rights to clean water, decent sanitation and hygiene for all, particularly for vulnerable communities, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, who continue to live without access to these basic essentials.
She confirmed that
WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation.
At the virtual meeting, the Heineken Africa Foundation, WaterAid Nigeria, civil society organisations and the government celebrated a seven-month project that expanded hygiene access for marginalised and vulnerable communities in Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna and Oyo states.
The non governmental organization said that 284 million naira Scale-Up Hygiene project was aimed at complementing government’s efforts in reducing the spread of the coronavirus disease through large-scale hygiene promotion, and provision of handwashing facilities to support the practice of good hygiene in the states of intervention.
About two hundreds non-contact and inclusive handwashing facilities were installed in healthcare facilities, schools and public places to support the practice of good hygiene.
Additionally, hygiene packs containing face masks and soap were distributed to 29,000 households and 7,200 people with disabilities in the states of intervention.
The non governmental organization also facilitated and highlighted the need to integrate WASH in health interventions targeted at tackling the coronavirus disease.
