The Federal government of Nigeria and stakeholders from the water sector have convened to restructure and develop a comprehensive National WASH Policy and Implementation Strategy, aiming to address
perceived disparities in WASH service delivery across the country.
In a press statement signed by Imuetinyan Funmi (Mrs.), Head of the Press and Public Relations Unit, the collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Environment, and stakeholders
is highlighted. The purpose is to review comments and suggestions on the shared Terms of Reference for the Technical Committee responsible for developing the National WASH Policy and Implementation Strategy.
The stakeholders’ engagement meeting, which commenced on April 3, 2023, with the inauguration of the Technical Committee by the former Minister of Environment, is focused on examining the comments, suggestions, and inputs received regarding the shared Terms of Reference (ToR).
During the meeting, Engr. (Dr.) Nicholas Dumebi Madu, Director of Water Supply at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Chairman of the Technical Committee, stressed the importance of advancing the
development of the National WASH Policy.
He expressed gratitude to the Committee members for their significant contributions and outlined the objective of the gathering: to review and analyze all relevant sections of the ToR as the Ministry prepares to engage a suitable consulting firm for the review process, which will incorporate
valuable inputs from around the world.
Engr. Madu emphasized that improved WASH services have far-reaching impacts on other human development outcomes, such as poverty reduction, inclusive growth, safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
He emphasized the significance of these factors in promoting healthier standards of living for the people.
The collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the Federal Ministry of Environment, and other stakeholders aims to address the perceived
imbalance in WASH service delivery throughout the country.
Goodwill messages were delivered by WaterAid, the World Bank, and UNICEF, respectively.
The meeting was attended by committee members representing approximately thirty agencies, line ministries, and parastatals, as
well as representatives from academia, civil society groups, the Organized Private Sector on WASH (OPS-WASH), development partners, and the media. Attendance was both physical and virtual.