100m Nigerians lack access to sanitation facilities - FG

The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu, has said that more than 100 million Nigerians are without access to basic sanitation facilities in Nigeria.

Adamu stated this during a one day interactive meeting with the private sector on Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) in Lagos.

He said the situation of water supply and the sanitation subsector caused by open defecation practice is worrisome.

“Countries where open defecation is practiced are the countries with highest level of poverty, wealth disparity and under-five child mortalities,” he said.

He reiterated the SDGs target of achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene under a broader and more refined monitoring framework which is what PEWASH is all about.

The minister stated that it was on the realization of the “pathetic” situation of water supply and sanitation in the country that the ministry came up with the PEWASH initiative. PEWASH is designed to be a national collaboration instrument for all stakeholders, including governments at all levels, development partners, the private sector and communities.

He assured the participants from the private sector that government would not take over the running of their intervention projects but rather; would build on all on-going efforts as well as complement existing water and sanitation strategies for sustainable development.

He called on them to sign the PEWASH Protocol as about 13 states and some international development partners have subscribed to supporting the initiative.

Mr. Michael Ale, President of the Association of Waterwell Drilling Rig Practitioners (AWDROP) called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the nation’s water and sanitation sub-sector.

On the partnerships with the federal government on PEWASH, he said the private sector should key into the PEWASH initiative with commitment because safe water, sanitation and hygiene are some of the most basic requirements for human health.

“Poor sanitation and contaminated water are linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid,” he added.