Ismail Adebayo
UNICEF Chief for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria, Ms. Jane Devan, has urged the governments of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States to pay up their counterpart funds for the successful implementation of the “Improved Water Sanitation Hygiene Project” in their respective states.
Devan, who addressed virtual participants at a meeting to review the WASH project in the three states, tasked the stakeholders to redouble their efforts and commitment to sustain the successes of the project in their respective states.
She also called on the states’ legislators to improve on the budgetary allocation for WASH projects in their states and assured them of UNICEF’s prompt funding for the projects in their states.
Devan commended the three state governments for their commitment to improving sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water projects in their states.
Earlier in their remarks, the Secretaries to the State Governments of Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi, said that the project that is in its first year of implementation has been successful in their respective states.
The Zamfara’s SSG, Mr. Kabiru Balarabe, said that there was increase in access to safe drinking water, improved hygiene and sanitation in Zamfara communities in the last one year of the project in the state.
Balarabe said: “This review will help us to strategies and prepare for the next year. A lot still needs to be done because our progress was affected by insecurity in the North-west states.”
He pledged that his state government would soon pay its counterpart fund following the state governor’s approval for the payment.
Speaking in the same vain, Kebbi SSG, Mr. Babale Umar Yauri, said that the state government has strengthened its rural water supply and sanitation agency and has directed the creation of I-WASH departments in all the 21 local government areas of the state.
Yauri said: “We will soon redeemed our pledge of N218,133,334.00 as part of our commitment to the project.”
