Adopt UNICEF  Fund Initiative to Check Open Defecation, Stakeholders Urge States

Segun Awofadeji in  Bauchi

Stakeholders in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector have called for the adoption of UNICEF Sanitation Pool Fund Initiative in Bauchi by other states to scale up the construction of improved toilets by households to check open defecation in Nigeria.

The stakeholders made the call during a one-day workshop organised by WaterAid Nigeria to validate and disseminate Bauchi State WASH situational assessment report held in Bauchi with MDA representatives, CSOs, donors and the media in attendance.

According to the report, the N20 million released to the Bauchi State Government by UNICEF has grown to about N80 million as the fund was lent to toilet business operators who subsequently distributed it to households for the construction of improved toilets. The stakeholders, who commended the Bauchi State government for judicious management of the fund, called for the initiative to be replicated in other states of the federation to achieve open defecation free society.

While presenting the report to stakeholders yesterday, the head of advocacy, policy and communication of WaterAid Nigeria, Mr. Kolawole Banwo, highlighted findings of the report to include access to basic sanitation in Bauchi State which stands at 60 percent, far above the national average of 46 percent and regional average of 51 percent.

“Asides from this, the presence of hand-washing facilities with soap in premises is about 19 percent above the regional and national average of 12 percent and 17 percent respectively,” he added.

With respect to gaps contained in the report, Banwo identified lack of permanent leadership in some of the agencies like the Bauchi State small towns water and sanitary agency BASTOWA, Bauchi State water services and regulatory commission and the state rural water supply agency RUWASA, as creating a gap and therefore called on government to appoint substantive head for this institutions to avert management crisis.

The one-day stakeholders’ workshop advised the state government to revitalise the role of the high level sanitation champions for the state as the policy document does not address the key pillars of sanitation governance.

Earlier, the spokesman of the Ministry of Water Resources, who also doubles as the Permanent Secretary, Mustapha Ahmed Samaila, commended WaterAid for undertaking the project and pledged Bauchi State Government’s readiness to adopt key recommendations contained in the report to move the WASH sector forward.