WASH: FG to collaborate with stakeholders to upgrade toilet facilities in Schools

Folalumi Alaran

…Nigeria to host World Toilet Summit

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, has declared that his ministry will work with the Ministry of Education and other key stakeholders on a new program to improve toilet facilities and water sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools.

He also revealed that, starting in 2023, the Federal Government’s colleges, universities, and polytechnics will be the primary targets of the new initiative, which is termed “School WASH.”

He said, ” We are ready and hope that the Federal Ministry of Education is ready, we will be talking to SUBEB, TETFund and will also be going down to State and Local Governments to see that they are also carried along.

He claimed that despite everything that had been done in the past regarding these collaborations, the indices had remained poor, making it necessary to start the program now.

” We have sent a draft Mou to the Ministry of Education,we also have a budget line starting from 2023, we hope the ministry will keep pace with our enthusiasm to ensure we attack this indices” he said.

Just then, the minister announced that Nigeria will host the World Toilet Summit for the second time in African history, on November 18–19, 2022.

Explaining the Summit, he said it is a singular global forum where stakeholders, NGOs, development partners, and high-level decision makers will come together to better strategize, address, and deal with in-country sanitation challenges as well as offer solutions that will help deal with the problems surrounding open defecation.

He said, ”This is a global event which will provide an excellent opportunity to bring greater visibility to the issue of ending open defecation in Nigeria.

“It is expected to enhance Nigeria’s capability to be better equipped towards meeting the target of ending open defecation by 2025.

” The World Toilet Summit aims at facilitating global conversation around the creation of sustainable sanitation markets that will actively stimulate economic growth within the sanitation value chain, expose the financial gains inherent in sanitation technology and encourage private sector innovation.

However, the minister pointed out that Jigawa State has broken new ground by being the first State to ban open defecation (ODF) and praised the governor of the state for his commitment to the cause.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Water Resources Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, during her welcome address said that the theme of the summit ” Towards Sanitation Innovations for Economic Development”, was an opportunity to enable participants, exhibitors and other stakeholders in the sector, have wider range of vision within the sanitation value chain.

This global Press Conference has become Important because accurate and correct informative messages about the Summit will be disseminated to the general public for the creation of awareness on new innovations, instant exposure on the benefits of the summit for increased technological, cost effective investment, and entrepreneurial potentials.” she added.