The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), has pledged to support tiers of government in holding political leaders accountable for improving access to potable water and sanitation services.
The National Coordinator of the group, Mr Benson Attah, said this at the opening of the sub-national stakeholders’ webinar on ‘Vote 4WASH Campaign’ advocacy efforts and progress on Thursday in Abuja.
According to him, the meeting is aimed at tracking political stakeholders’ commitment towards improving access to potable water and sanitation in the country.
He said the WASH Charter of Demand highlighted the need for budgetary allocations, institutional strengthening and political will in the sector.
Attah said there was a need for prioritising WASH in the political agenda at all levels and to make WASH everyone’s business.
‘Today’s meeting is to enable us review the vote for WASH campaign to see how we’ve been able to engage political stakeholders to support WASH implementation in the country.
‘We cannot overempha
sise the role of access to potable water and sanitation in the country, undermining WASH services in the country affects human development outcomes,’he said.
Attah urged selected states and their coordinators to continue to work with key stakeholders through advocacy efforts to ensure WASH prioritisation.
Ms. Bibian Ama from the NEWSAN secretariat, urged states to improve on their efforts as the Programme had a timeline that was running out and the need for progress to be made.
Mr Musa Buba, Managing Director of Taraba Water Agency and Sewerage Corporation (TAWASCO), commended the efforts of NEWSAN in promoting advocacy for sustainable water and sanitation services in the country.
He said access to WASH cannot be overemphasised by anyone as it is central to sustainable development at all times.
Buba said the agency would continue to support the CSOs in the state for a cleaner and healthier environment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five states of Osun, Gombe, Taraba, Plateau and Jigawa h
ad representatives who spoke about advocacy efforts with commitment to do more in the coming days.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria