The Federal Government has promised to achieve 100per cent access to water by 2030, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said in Abuja.
He said the Federal Government would also eliminate open defecation in the country by 2025, according to the country’s 15-year Partnership For Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme.
It was designed to build on previous efforts and also complement existing water and sanitation strategies, by instituting a coordination and prioritisation framework for project delivery.
Adamu explained that the programme has been broken down into stages, with Phase1, from 2016 to 2018, being the preparatory stage.
The Phase 11, which is from 2019 to 2025) is the expansion phase, while the Phase 111 would run from 2026 to 2030.
Adamu said the overarching goal of PEWASH is to contribute to improvements in public health and eradication of poverty in Nigeria.
The minister cited the key issues affecting the sector to include low political will, weak governance, poor data management, and poor sector funding.
Others are low private participation and emergency coordination.
He stressed the need to increase access to water in small towns/urban areas, public institutions, schools, market, offices, and public places.
In a related development, WaterAid Nigeria has urged government to provide water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools.
This, it said, would facilitate safe and private spaces for schoolgirls to manage their periods hygienically.
The country Representative Dr. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye stated this Wednesday during the celebration of World Menstrual Hygiene day in Abuja.
The country representative explained that menstrual hygiene management is not just about providing sanitary pads, but also helping young girls and people around them.
These include the men in their lives to have the information, awareness and knowledge around the issue.
“It is about helping girls to have confidence to manage their hygiene safely and with dignity.
“It is also to ensure that wherever they are, provision is made for them to manage their menstrual periods safely and hygienically and for the products to be collected and disposed effectively,” she said.
