NAN-AE-9
Access
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, June 20, 2017 (NAN) The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu on Tuesday expressed concern over a reduction in the number of Nigerians with access to water and sanitation, describing it as unacceptable.
Adamu, said this at a Stakeholders Meeting of Water and Sanitation Development Partners on Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) in Abuja.
Quoting a World Bank WASH Sector report, the minister said it was saddening to note that Nigeria’s sanitation indices show an overall decrease in access to water and sanitation, saying no effort must be spared at reversing this trend.
“Nigeria’s sanitation is in critical condition, only 29 per cent of Nigerians have access to improved sources of sanitation, 130 million Nigerians used unimproved sanitation facilities or practice open defecation.
“Nigeria’s water sector faces significant water challenges, 61 per cent of Nigerians have access to improved water; down from 69 per cent in 2015 at the end of the MDGs, barely two years after.
“Access to piped water reduced from 32 per cent in 1990 to seven per cent in 2015, the situation is worse in rural areas, with all the sophistication we have, we do not have piped borne water, its a serious issue that we must change.”
He said poor children were likely to die from diarrhoeal-related deaths, in comparison with children of the rich, saying with deliberate commitment, Nigeria would stop this trend.
He said it was important for all stakeholders to understand that access to water and sanitation is the bedrock of the well-being of any society.
He said budgetary allocations from the tiers of government cannot meet the SDG target of scaling up access to water and sanitation, saying there was the need for private sector funding.
“In my own projection, no matter how much the three tiers of government put together in its budgetary allocations, it can never be enough to meet the SDG target on water and sanitation.”
He said PEWASH objective and targets within the SDG six, was to prioritise the achievement of 100 per cent access to water supply and improved sanitation by 2030, and elimination of open defecation by 2025.
He said the PEWASH programme was not aimed at uprooting other projects, but that it was targeted at strengthening political backing and commitment towards meeting the SDG six.
Adamu said although it was not the duty of the Federal Government to provide water and sanitation, it would however show leadership by making sure that needed support was available to improve the lives of all Nigerians.(NAN)
TAK/EAL
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi