87% of Nigerians lack basic hygiene facilities – EU

The WaterAid – a civil society organisation under European Union has disclosed that about 87 percent of Nigerians lacked basic hygiene facilities.

The organisation made the disclosure through its Director of Programmes, Anddy Omoluabi during the launching of water sanitation and hygiene project by the Plateau state government at Crest Hotel in Jos on Thursday.

Mr. Omoluabi also disclosed that about 60,000 children below the age of five in Nigeria have died from diseases caused by the nation’s poor level of access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

He said, “87 percent of Nigerians don’t have basic hygiene facilities and 60, 000 children below the age of five in Nigeria have died from diseases caused by the nation’s poor level of access to water, sanitation and hygiene, ”

He added that about 67 percent of the Nigeria’s population also lacked basic sanitation and 26 percent practise open defecation.

He further said that in Plateau about 61 percent of the state’s household population currently are lacking clean water, while 29 percent are without access to decent toilet and 54 percent defecate in the open.

“Without sufficient access to clean water and sanitation, it would be difficult for the state to meet the development goals it has set for itself, such as reduction in maternity and infant mortality, eradication of water borne and poor sanitation induced diseases among others, ” he said.

He further explained that the reason both European Union and Plateau state government have jointly supported the implementation of the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme 111 ( WSSSRP) in the state was to improve governance of the sector and provide improved service in the rural and urban centres.

Meanwhile,  the Plateau state Government during the event disclosed that it has earmarked the sum of N550 million as a counterpart funding in order to bring an end to the problem of water scarcity, open defecation and lack of basic hygiene.

During the event Governor Simon Lalong, said the state government is partnering with European Union to sponsor the project in order to ensure access to clean water and open free defecation communities in the state.

Lalong represented by the Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, David Ja’afaru Wuyep said that his administration would work round the clock to ensure the citizens of the state get access to clean, portable and hygienic water.

He said, “Today (Thursday) is just the official launching of the project, but out of the counterpart money that we have paid about 700 boreholes have been constructed in the rural areas, the EU has played a major part in achieving this success,”