By Adesewa George

The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) has called for stronger sustainability measures, institutional reforms and increased private sector participation to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in Nigeria.

The National Coordinator of NEWSAN, Mr Attah Benson, made the call during an advocacy visit to the Sustainable Urban-Rural Water Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme Office on Friday in Abuja.

Benson said the engagement was aimed at strengthening collaboration among stakeholders, reviewing implementation progress in SURWASH states and identifying areas requiring additional support.

According to him, the programme supports Nigeria’s commitment under the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership to ensure citizens have access to safe and affordable water and sanitation services.

He said the programme, which began in seven states, was already influencing actions and reforms at the federal level.

Benson commended SURWASH for supporting Katsina State’s attainment of open defecation-free (ODF) status, describing it as one of only two ODF states in the country.

He said advocacy visits to project states showed progress in implementation but also revealed gaps in behavioural change interventions, institutional capacity and coordination among implementing partners.

“These engagements provided opportunities to strengthen multi-sectoral coordination at the state level, improve collaboration among partners and enhance programme delivery,” he said.

Benson also called for intensified integrated WASH interventions to tackle neglected tropical diseases prevalent in many states, including SURWASH implementation states.

He urged states lagging behind in ODF attainment to strengthen implementation and sustainability efforts, stressing that more than half of the SDGs depended directly or indirectly on progress in the WASH sector.

The NEWSAN coordinator reiterated the need for stronger private sector participation in the sector, noting that efforts over the years had produced limited results.

“States continue to look to the national level for stronger direction in encouraging private sector investment in the sector,” he said.

Benson reaffirmed NEWSAN’s commitment to providing technical support to stakeholders nationwide despite financial constraints.

Responding, the National Programme Coordinator of SURWASH, Mr Abdulhamid Gwaram, described NEWSAN as a critical partner in implementing the programme across participating states.

Gwaram said SURWASH differed from previous interventions because it combined infrastructure development with measurable service delivery outcomes.

“The challenge is that you cannot test service delivery without infrastructure, and you also cannot justify infrastructure without a proper service delivery system.

“What makes SURWASH different is that it combines infrastructure with service delivery,” he said.

He said the programme was shifting its focus from infrastructure provision alone to sustainability, accountability and long-term functionality of WASH facilities.

“If a state constructs a N10 billion water treatment plant that does not provide reliable water access for the people, then it has failed in terms of service delivery.

“But if a simple hand pump repaired with N10,000 begins to serve 100 people in a community, then meaningful service has been restored,” he said.

Gwaram said the programme had introduced measures to encourage institutions with effective maintenance systems, staffing structures and operational accountability.

He called on state governments to strengthen operational support for water and sanitation agencies through improved logistics, mobility and field monitoring capacity.

On private sector participation, Gwaram said stronger regulation and institutional reforms were necessary to attract investment into the WASH sector.

“At the moment, the private sector will not be interested in operating in a weak environment without proper regulation.

“So, we must strengthen regulations and improve infrastructure to make the WASH sector attractive to investors,” he said.

He added that the programme had introduced a “creditworthiness programme” to improve the financial and managerial capacity of state water agencies and prepare them for long-term investment partnerships.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 700 million dollar World Bank SURWASH programme, inaugurated on Feb. 14, 2022, has a six-year implementation period.

The programme is designed to strengthen sector policies and institutions to improve water and sanitation services in urban, small-town and rural communities.

SURWASH is currently being implemented in Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau states, while Abia, Bauchi, Benue, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ogun, Jigawa and Taraba have recently been added to the programme. (NAN)

Edited by Tosin Kolade