The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council through the Global Sanitation Fund has provided the sum of five million Us Dollars ($5,000,000) to implement rural sanitation and hygiene promotion in Nigeria. The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Reng Ochekpe disclosed this on Monday 16th June, 2014 while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and two benefiting States – Cross River and Benue State Governments.
The Minister said that the signing of the MoU signifies a take – off of the programme towards scaling up sanitation and hygiene activities aimed at enhancing identified MDG targets. “We are here to witness such collaborative efforts with one of our development partners – the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) which through the Global Sanitation Fund has provided the sum of US $5,000,000 to support the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSSPIN) in Benue and Cross River States,” the Minister disclosed.
She added that the entry of Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) into Nigeria through the grant from the Global Sanitation Fund is a demonstration of the concern by the international community to assist Nigeria in scaling-up sanitation and hygiene for which the Ministry has been grateful to undertake. She also noted that Benue and Cross River States have shown commitment and readiness for the programme through providing counterpart funding for implementation of the programme. She mentioned the Local Governments to benefit in Benue State as including: Aguta, Gwer – East, Logo, Ado – Bukuru and Gboko; while in Cross River State Abi, Bekwarra, Obanliku, Obudu, Akamkpa and Ogoja are proposed beneficiaries.
“It is my belief that the programme will be a huge success from where we will draw lessons to replicate in the other LGAs in Benue and Cross River States and indeed throughout Nigeria,” Ochekpe intensified.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), Chris Williams said that the programme is based on the Nigerian National Water Supply and Sanitation Programme which was adopted in the year 2000 to make accessibility to adequate water and sanitation the right of every Nigerian.
The Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan represented by the Secretary to the State Government, David Salifu and the representative of the Cross River State Governor, Partrick Emori, who is the General Manager of the Cross River State Water Board, expressed appreciation for the partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council which has chosen their States as pilots for the Programme.
Image and post credit: Federal Ministry of Information, Nigeria.
