The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) on Tuesday vowed to track political aspirants’ commitments towards improving access to potable water and sanitation in the country.
NEWSAN National coordinator, Mr Benson Attah, said this at a multi-stakeholders workshop to ‘Develop the WASH Charter of Demand’ in Abuja.
He said NEWSAN would carry out advocacy and engage political aspirants and parties in the upcoming general elections to educate them on the benefits of investing in sanitation and hygiene.
He noted that accelerating progress in WASH would be achieved when those in power and aspirants were educated about the current challenges.
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According to him, the meeting is to develop a document—WASH Charter of Demand—for advocacy and engagements with political parties’ aspirants at all levels.
He explained that as at today, WASH remained a low priority on many political agenda, leaving 57 per cent to lack of basic handwashing facilities, and 90 per cent without sanitation respectively.
Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, said Nigeria remained one of the leading countries practicing open defecation globally.
She noted that the highest political will had been achieved with the declaration of a state of emergency in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector in the country.
She said the Clean Nigeria campaign against open defecation had seen states’ signing pledge cards and working towards hygiene promotion.
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