The federal government has expanded access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to aid in the fight against the ravaging coronavirus and other infectious diseases.
The vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo stated this yesterday in Abuja at the virtual inauguration of the Steering Committee of the ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the toilet campaign.’
“We are embarking upon this initiative at a most auspicious time. As our nation confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognise that expanding access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities is our most effective weapon against the scourge of infectious diseases.
“Ensuring the provision of adequate WASH facilities in our communities is the cornerstone of our efforts to strengthen the resilience of our public health structures beyond the present challenge of COVID-19. This is the basis of our commitment to ending open defecation and more broadly to raising the standards in the WASH sector,” he said.
On the progress made since the adoption and implementation of the national road map for WASH in 2016, Osinbajo said more local government areas in the country had so far been certified Open Defecation Free according to the National Open Defecation Free (ODF) Protocol.
“The key objectives of this effort include the implementation of a campaign to end open defecation in Nigeria by 2025.
“This will involve mobilising support and resources at the highest political level and within the private sector, the communities and from development partners,” he said.
He said the WASH campaign “will create a pool of resource persons to support local actors to implement this nationwide transformational sanitation agenda.
“The campaign will mobilize various strata of the society to imbibe a new culture of safe sanitation through behavioural change communication and advocacy strategies; we will also establish mechanisms for tracking progress and sharing knowledge and lessons learnt.”
On the terms of reference for the steering committee, the vice president said the group will meet bi-annually to provide strategic oversight to the implementation of the Clean Nigeria Campaign, among other things.
“The committee will oversee and advise on the implementation and strategic orientation proposed by the Clean Nigeria Secretariat to execute the campaign,” he added.
In addition, the committee will
*facilitate maximum synergy between the Clean Nigeria Secretariat and other relevant government agencies including security and law enforcement agencies and stakeholders towards meeting the campaign objectives.
*facilitate access of the Clean Nigeria Secretariat to technical and financial resources for effective implementation of the campaign.
*receive and review progress reports of implementation of the campaign.
*ensure that results of the campaign monitoring outcomes are well communicated to all stakeholders.
Chaired by the Osinbajo, members of the committee include the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Kayode Fayemi; chairman, senate committee on water resources, Mr. Bello Mandiya and chairman, house committee on water resources, Mr. Sada Soli.
The others are the head of civil service of the federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan; the minister of water resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu; minister of information and culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed; minister of agriculture and rural development, Mr. Sabo Nanono; Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; minister of women affairs, Mrs. Paulen Tallen; minister of humanitarian affairs, Ms. Sadiya Umar Farouk; minister of education, Mr. Adamu Adamu; minister of Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mr. Mohammed Bello; director general, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Garba Abari; senior special assistant to the president on SDGs, Mrs. Adejoke Adefulire; representative of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); representative of Organised Private Sector in WASH (OPSWASH), Dr Nicholas Igwe; representatives of Network of NGOs in Water and Sanitation, Mr. Benson Attah; director, water quality control and sanitation in the federal ministry of water resources, Mr. Emmanuel Awe and the special assistant to the minister of water resources, Mr. Taoheed Amusan.
