Plateau, Katsina, Ekiti, and four other States have been selected to benefit from the World Bank’s $650 million long-term sustainability of water, sanitation, and hygiene project in Nigeria.
Other States listed as beneficiaries of the project include Kaduna, Imo, Delta, and Gombe States.
Chief Executive Officer, Male Integrated Limited, Mr. Michael Ale, made this known during the maiden national Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), sustainability conference with theme:’Achieving SDGs Through Independent Evaluation And Mutual Accountability’ held at Kakanfo Inn, Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Tuesday.
Ale, further noted that:” WASH is also about COVID-19, Flooding, health, sanitation, wellness, livelihood, food system, drought, hygiene, even Nation Building. WASH cut across every sector of our existence most importantly power. Imagine the great importance attached to WASH but is grossly neglected by Nigerians because of inadequate information to the populace.
“In the main time, Nigeria is basely affected by flooding and this is evident by the recording of casualties, it is pertinent to note that, the basic infrastructures needed to curb seasonal flooding has been neglected over decades and the consequences are what we are experiencing now.”
“This has led to the loss of lives and properties through different means and contamination from our water bodies most importantly our groundwater. Almost 22 states out of 36 states of the country had witnessed one devastating issue relating to flooding but almost all the groundwater in Nigeria must have been affected.”
He, therefore, called for urgent action by the authorities concerned that certain immediate and proactive actions are required beyond humanitarian and emergency responsiveness to the affected areas.
Speaking on why Oyo State was not included in the project, Ale said:” Oyo State excluded because there are procedures which have to be followed before you can be given that access to part of those that would benefit from the project. So if you do not have those institutional arrangements in place, then it is very difficult to be part of this beautiful gesture from the World Bank.”
