FG set to partner stakeholders, improve toilet facilities in schools

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, says the Federal Government is set to collaborate the Ministry of Education, Stakeholders on a new Programme to improve access to toilets and WASH facilities in Schools.

“The new initiative ‘School WASH’ will be targeted first to Federal Government Institutions, Colleges of Education universities, polytechnics starting from 2023.

“We are ready and hope that the Federal Ministry of Education is ready, we will be talking to SUBEB, TETFund and will also be going down to State and Local Governments to see that they are also carried along.”

He stated that this had become imperative because despite all that has been done on these collaborations in the past, the indices collected from surveys, had continued to grow.

“We have sent a draft MOU to the Ministry of Education. We also have a budget line starting from 2023. We hope the ministry will keep pace with our enthusiasm to ensure we attack this indices,” he said.

Our Correspondent reports that the 2022 World Toilet Summit scheduled to hold in Nigeria is a unique global platform in which Stakeholders, NGOs, Development Partners and high-level Decision Makers would come together to better strategize and address in-country Sanitation challenges.

They will also proffer solutions that will help to resolve the issues around Open Defecation.

The Minister said that the World Press Conference had become imperative to bring Nigeria up to speed as preparations are on for Nigeria’s hosting of the World Toilet Summit set to hold on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, 2022.

“This is a global event which will provide an excellent opportunity to bring greater visibility to the issue of ending open defecation in Nigeria.

“It is expected to enhance Nigeria’s capability to be better equipped towards meeting the target
of ending open defecation by 2025.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, during her welcome address said that the theme of the summit “Towards Sanitation Innovations for Economic Development”, was an opportunity to enable participants, exhibitors and other stakeholders in the sector, have wider range of vision within the sanitation value chain.

This global Press Conference has become important because accurate and correct informative messages about the summit will be disseminated to the general public for the creation of awareness on new innovations, instant exposure on the benefits of the summit for increased technological, cost-effective investment, and entrepreneurial potentials,” she added.