From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, has said that the Government is set to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and other Stakeholders on a new Program to improve access of students to toilets and WASH facilities in Schools.
Adamu made this desclosure in Abuja, at a world press conference for the 2022,World Toilet Summit,
held in Abuja, yesterday.
He said”The new initiative ‘School WASH will be targeted first to Federal Government institutions, Colleges , 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 added that this had become imperative because despite all that has been done on these collaborations in the past, the indices had continued to be bad.
” 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.
He stressed 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 18th and 19th November of 2022.
‘It 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 Minister further announced that Jigawa State has emerged the first open defecation state in the country,after validation.
The Permanent Secretary, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack in her remarks said the summit would provide adequate opportunities to enable participants, exhibitors and other stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector, have wider range of vision within the sanitation value chain.
“It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the World Press Conference on the World Toilet Summit with the theme Towards Sanitation Innovations for Economic Development, scheduled to take place on the 18th and 19th November 2022, in Abuja, Nigeria