WaterAid, Partners, Hold Workshop For Enugu Stakeholders To Assess State Sanitation, Hygiene Policy

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A two day workshop organized by WaterAid, Nigeria in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to assess the sanitation and hygiene policy environment of Enugu State using the African Sanitation Policy Assessment tool (ASPAT) has begun in Enugu, with key Stakeholders in Water Sanitation and hygiene (WASH), in attendance.

Speaking during the day one of the programme Tuesday, Country Director of Wateraid, Evelyn Mere, explained that the workshop “will also be used to disseminate the outcome of the Sanitation Situation Analysis and discuss the policy improvement plan for the state WASH sector hence, the key stakeholder in the state’s development initiative were invited to the event.

According to her, the African Sanitaton Policy Guidelines (ASPG) serve as a crucial framework directing the evolution of Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector.

“Within this context, evident chalenges in WASH

highlight significant gaps, particularly in the interconnected responsibilities of waste management and pollution control across various agencies at both the Federal and State levels.

“This complexity is further compounded by the nationwide initiative to eradicate open defecation spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR), resulting in distinct national policies for Environmental Sanitation and Water

Sanitation, alongside an array of guideines, roles, and responsibilities distributed among multiple agencies.

Mere who spoke through the Enugu state programme Lead (SPL), of her organization, Mr. Solomon Akpanufot, added that it is in “iight of these considerations, WaterAid, Nigeria in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation, is organizing the workshop with a view to assessing “the sanitation and hygiene policy environment of Enugu State, using the African Sanitation Policy Assessment tool(ASPAT).

The Country Director stated that “this desire to do things differently was what led to conversations among the honourable ministers of three very strategic ministries in faraway Jakarta, Indonesia, during the Sector Ministers’ Meeting, in May 2022.

“At that meeting, the honourable ministers for Environment, Health and Water Resources resolved to collaborate differently to accelerate change in the WASH sector.

“They committed to providing the leadership to put in place necessary frameworks that will transform the lives of citizens, promote their right to sustainable WASH services and set the pace for states to follow.

“WaterAid was privileged to have been part of the conversation in Jakarta and committed to following up to ensure actualization.

“These conversations coincided with the period following the launch of the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines conceptualized by the African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW) in 2021.

She noted that “it was designed to guide African governments on the review, revision, and development of sanitation policies and strategies for their implementation.

“Nigeria made a commitment to adapt it for reviewing her sector policies.The African Sanitation Policy Guidelines were first conceived from the lessons learnt AMCOW in undertaking a review of national sanitation policies of four countries between 2014 and 2016.

“This was followed by an assessment of the national sanitation policies and strategies of 26 African countries.

“Findings from this study indicated that the majority of existing policies did not adequately address the critical elements of the enabling environment necessary to ensure access to safely managed sanitation for all.

“Nigeria has since committed to using the ASPG to strengthen its policy frameworks. The ASPG recognizes the need for efficiency and building on existing frameworks and therefore recommends an inclusive sector-wide approach for sanitation policy development commencing with an assessment of the sector to identify the gaps that may need to be filled using the Guidelines.

Mere disclosed that WaterAid is currently supporting this process at the National Level and in Bauchi and Enugu States.Our support to the ASPG process in Enugu State commenced in the third quarter of 2023.

“Between today and Thursday this week, WASH stakeholders in the state will be supported to work as a team to finalize the assessment of the state’s sanitation and hygiene policy environment using the African Sanitation Policy Assessment tool (ASPAT).

“The workshop will also be used to disseminate the outcome of the Sanitation Situation Analysis and discuss the policy improvement plan for the state WASH sector.

“WaterAid remains committed to supporting any task to transform the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector in Nigeria.

In a presentation, Wateraid, WASH consultant, Mr. Kichime Bawa, had gave a detailed introduction to ASPG and ASPAT.

In a brief remark, Enugu State Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr. Felix Nnamani, expressed gratitudute to Wateraid for it’s intervention programmes over the years in the state, assuring the organization of the governor Peter Mbah led administration’s continued partnership with it.

He said issue of WASH remains a top most priority to the present government in the state under Mbah’s watch.

The event was attended by key stakeholders from the WASH Sector, including physically challenged persons, media, and Civil. Society groups, amongst others.