WaterAid Nigeria has unveiled plans to co-convene an informal breakfast dialogue on the sidelines of UN High Level Political Forum, (HLPF) kicking off today in New York, United States, with a view to discussing urgent issues on Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector and attracting global support for government’s initiatives in the sector.
Specifically, the dialogue is to support Nigeria’s efforts in the WASH sector action following a Federal Government’s declaration of emergency on the sector last April and to take the opportunity of the SDG6 review to catalyse similar attention from other governments.
In a statement by the Communications and Media Manager, WaterAid Nigeria, Oluseyi Abdulmalik, the civil organisation described the government’s declaration which encompasses an 18-month period and ushers in a 13-year revitalisation strategy for Nigeria’s WASH sector, as a welcome recognition of the urgency of WASH action in the country.
WaterAid Nigeria had campaigned for and commended the step and called on the Federal Government to complement the declaration with significant investment and financing needed to deliver on providing water and sanitation for all Nigerians.
It stated: “As Nigeria takes this important step towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), the world’s governments will gather in New York at the UN High Level Political Forum, to take place 9-18 July.
“The 2018 HLPF, which will undertake the first global review of SDG6, offers an important space to galvanize urgent action to ensure that the human rights to clean water and sanitation are guaranteed for all and to share concrete examples of how efforts towards universal water, sanitation and hygiene can enable the achievement of the 2030 Agenda”, WaterAid Nigeria added.
According to the organisation, the Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Hussein Adamu will attend this informal dialogue which will offer a significant moment to engage the UN delegations of Nigeria and neighbouring governments, along with donors and relevant civil society, towards urgent WASH action in the context of the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
WaterAid stated further that the breakfast dialogue also provides a space to highlight potential ways forward regarding the N30 billion fund recently proposed by Nigeria’s Ministry of Water Resources to address open defecation in the country and to encourage state governments to commit budget allocations for sanitation and hygiene.
The organisation pointed out that the space of the UN HLPF offers the opportunity to connect representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria with bilateral and other donors who might consider supporting this initiative, as well as with representatives of the Indian government who have achieved significant success in this area.
This is even as it confirmed that based on the suggestion of WaterAid India and the UN Resident Coordinator in India, the Permanent Mission of India has been invited to join the dialogue.
WaterAid Nigeria advised the Nigerian government to prioritise clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene for people across the country, if Goal 6 – the provision of clean water and decent sanitation for everyone everywhere – is to be reached by 2030.
“Without water, decent sanitation and good hygiene, other Sustainable Development Goals, including those on health, nutrition, education, gender equality and reducing inequalities cannot be achieved”, the organisation added.
While noting that globally 844 million people still do not have access to clean water and 1 in 3 people still live without adequate sanitation facilities, WaterAid Nigeria stated that in Nigeria alone 33 percent of the people were currently living without basic access to water, while 67 percent of the people do not have a decent toilet.
The organisation pointed out that on current progress, the promise to bring safe water and toilets to everyone by 2030 would not be met adding that while the country is on course to have universal access to clean water by 2039, the percentage of the population with access to a decent toilet is dropping.
“Without access to these basic amenities, men, women and children in Nigeria will remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease, while being denied their basic human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, WaterAid cautions.
WaterAid Nigeria therefore advocated urgent action by the government to finance water and sanitation, to integrate it with efforts on health, nutrition and other related development, and to make progress sustainable is essential to reach everyone, everywhere.
According to the organisation, faster progress on all three will save lives, boost development and change the lives of billions of people living in extreme poverty globally since every US$1 spent on water and sanitation, on average has the potential of $4 economic benefits.
Commenting on the WASH situation in the country and efforts to improve the sector, the Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Dr ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, said: “We are at a critical juncture in the fight to get clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene to the people of Nigeria and across the world.
“Our Government must complement this state of emergency declaration with significant investment and financing needed to deliver on providing water and sanitation for all Nigerians.
“We know that if everyone, everywhere was able to access clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, then we could help end the scourge of extreme poverty and create a more sustainable future. But we have act now to make this a reality.
“The Nigerian government must prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene – the basic building blocks of any prosperous community – ensuring proper financing is put in place to build a more sustainable country today and for future generations. The people of Nigeria will be watching.”, Aniagolu-Okoye stressed.
