The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has called on stakeholders across the country to key into the action plan of Hygiene and Sanitation and ensuring Open Defecation Free society by 2025.
To achieve the set target, Adamu tasked them to ensure that households are properly mobilised to provide sanitation facilities in order to realise total coverage and sustainable access for the populace.
The minister, who made this call at the Inter-Ministerial Dialogue On Sanitation with key Ministers meeting in Abuja, assured commitment of the ministry to a robust engagement with all the stakeholders in ensuring that all Nigerians have access to basic facilities and live in a healthy environment.
Adamu said the understanding of the cross-cutting role of the water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector and its impact on other sectors has made it imperative that they foster a strong mechanism in addressing the issue of sanitation.
He enjoined all other ministries to address the issue since it is a national issue with the main focus on a behavioural change.
“Our different ministries have been identified as key stakeholders in the sanitation business and it is when we complement each other efforts that the country can experience good progress.
“To achieve the national target of ending Open defecation in Nigeria by 2025, we must ensure that households are mobilised to provide their sanitation facilities and that relevant government institutions and the private sectors provide sanitation facilities in public places such as schools, health centers, parks, and markets in order to realise total coverage and sustainable access for the populace.
He also highlighted that “The development of a Road Map towards making Nigeria open defecation free by 2025 and the rollout of the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene(PEWASH) programme designed as national collaborative instrument among governments at all levels to address the component of the SDG 6:1 and 6:2 targets are some of activities in addressing the sanitation in the country.”
Meanwhile, Adamu had expressed satisfaction over the progressive reports from other ministries who are stakeholders in ensuring proper hygiene and sanitation in the country.
However, Minister of Women Affairs & Social Development, Aisha Abubakar, had reiterated the ministry’s involvement in the sanitation exercise by advocating for menstrual hygiene for women in schools, homes and at all levels in the state and usage of hand wash over soaps.
This is said to go in line with the Menstrual Hygiene day campaign coming up soon.