NEWSAN, NOA pushes for expanded water, sanitation services
The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) has called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to strengthen grassroots campaigns to improve access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) across Nigeria. NEWSAN's National Coordinator, Mr Benson Attah, made this plea during a visit to NOA headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. Attah praised NOA for its support and responsiveness, highlighting that NEWSAN had benefited from its outreach platforms, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEWSAN is a network of over 300 civil society and non-governmental organisations working to ensure equitable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services nationwide. Attah noted that the organisation has partnered with government institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, as well as private sector actors, to enhance WASH services across the country.
Nigeria still faces significant challenges in providing WASH services, with drinking water coverage standing at about 68 per cent and safely managed water services at around 30 per cent. Access to basic sanitation is approximately 39 per cent, while safely managed sanitation is as low as 20 per cent. Only 25 per cent of households have access to basic hygiene services.
Attah highlighted the need for intensified awareness campaigns, especially during the rainy season when cholera outbreaks are common. He also stressed the importance of mainstreaming gender and persons with disabilities in WASH interventions. NEWSAN wants NOA's collaboration in promoting the WASH Charter of Demand, which aims to encourage political leaders to prioritise WASH in governance and development planning.
The Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, responded by highlighting the agency's nationwide presence and capacity to drive behavioural change campaigns. He described open defecation as harmful and unacceptable, linking poor sanitation practices to disease outbreaks.
NEWSAN's call for expanded water and sanitation services in Nigeria is a pressing issue that requires urgent attention. The fact that only 25 per cent of households have access to basic hygiene services is a stark indicator of the country's WASH challenges. NEWSAN's collaboration with NOA to promote the WASH Charter of Demand could be a crucial step towards encouraging political leaders to prioritise WASH in governance and development planning. This could lead to improved WASH services and a reduction in disease outbreaks, ultimately benefiting Nigerians.
