CSO to support implementation of $700m W/Bank water project in Nigeria

Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) has pledged to support the World Bank in the implementation of the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme in Nigeria.

NEWSAN National Coordinator, Mr Benson Attah, made the pledge when he led his members on a courtesy visit to the SURWASH Programme Implementation Office in Abuja on Thursday.

Our correspondent reports that the 700 million U.S. dollars programme is being implemented in seven states of Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau.

SURWASH will provide six million people with basic drinking water services and 1.4 million people access to improved sanitation services and improve WASH services to 2,000 schools and health care facilities.

Attah noted that NEWSAN works to support the Federal Government in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of scaling up access to potable water and sanitation.

He commended FG’s efforts in meeting the SDGs, saying such was reflected in its various intervention programmes.

“We are optimistic that this new project which rests on the theme of programme for results will be different from other projects, as we have seen its objective to include effective monitoring and evaluation.

“NEWSAN has a huge role to play in achieving stated objectives of the SURWASH project, and our partnership would go a long way in advocacy and encourage community partnership for sustainability,” he said.

SURWASH National Programme Coordinator, Mr Abdulhamid Gwaram, said CSOs play a critical role in project implementation and could serve as watchdogs.

According to him, the civil societies will serve as a medium for passing the right information towards reducing misinformation and disinformation.

Gwaram added that SURWASH programme was part of interventions to support the implementation of the National WASH action plan.

The national coordinator said that the role of continuous orientation of all partners towards ensuring community ownership and sustainability was paramount.

He, however, said that the six-year programme had made huge impact within its first year, saying this was made possible through the support and commitment of the Federal ministry of Water Resources.