Pulse.ng : Kaduna: SURWASH Seeks Synergy With Media To Ensure Sustainability

By Stella Kabruk

The Kaduna State Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene (KD- SURWASH) has sought the collaboration of the media organisations in the state to ensure the sustainability of its projects.

Its State Communications Officer, Affiong Edim spoke on Wedesdayn in Kaduna during a media lunch with Heads of Media Organisations and Directors of Programmes.

She said the aim of the lunch was to build and maintain cordial relationships with media workers in the state with a view to achieving effective reportage for the benefit of the citizens in the state.

Edim said the role of the media in any society cannot be over emphasized as they were a very important vehicle to drive messages and deliver them to the citizenry.

She said SURWASH, as a developmental programme has the major objective to increase access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

According to her, it also aims to strengthen sector institutions in two result-areas in the seven participating states that include Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau.

Edim said, “The strategy aims to ensure that all Nigerians have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services by 2030, in compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6.1 for water and 6-2 for sanitation.

“This is achievable with the use of two financing instruments: Investment Project Financing (IPF) for capacity improvements and Programme for Result (PforR), which will drive results generation.

” For us in Kaduna State we have commenced the first phase of construction in health centres and schools.”

She stated that preparation to commence construction work in communities and other institutions across the implementing local government areas was ongoing.

Edim said, “With this development, we need our people to utilize these facilities, not just utilizing but judiciously utilizing, take ownership and ensure they are sustained. “

Also speaking, the state Coordinator of the project, Mr Esau Ambinjah, said SURWASH was a World-Bank supported programme.

He said that it was a transformational step towards achieving Nigeria’s goal to ensure that all Nigerians have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services.

According to him this will be as enshrined in the National Action Plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Ambinjah said SURWASH has introduced a result-based approach that simultaneously incentivizes establishing and operationalizing key policies, regulations and institutional reforms.

This, he said, was required for improved sector performance alongside the necessary infrastructure construction and rehabilitation.

“The programme uses two financing instruments namely: Investment Project Financing (IPF) for capacity improvements and sector strengthening and Programme for Result (PforR).

”Which will drive results generation under various Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) after verification by an independent Verification Agents (IVA).

” The programme became effective on 14th January 2022 with an implementation period of six years,” he said.

According to Ambinjah, the development objective of the programme was to increase access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

He added,”And to strengthen sector institutions in ttwo result areas in the seven participating states of Nigeria (Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau.

“The strategy aims to ensure that all Nigerians have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services by 2030, in compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6.1 for water and 6-2 for sanitation.”

The coordinator said following the commencement of the programme in the state ,all the 23 local government areas were requested to submit their expression of interest (EoI) to participate in it line with the selection criteria of the World Bank.

Ambinjah said,, ”All the LGAs submitted their EoIs and they were appraised in line with the selection criteria and six LGAs came up with the highest scores and emerged winners.

”’The pilot LGAs are Chikun, Igabi,Jaba, Jema’a,Sabon Gari and Soba.”
He listed the expected results at the end of the programme, including the estimated numbers of beneficiaries under the programme/

He said, ”There are 6,100,000 people to be provided with basic drinking water services. 1,400,000 people were provided with access to improved sanitation services.

”Others are 500 an open defecation free- verified communities, 2,000 schools and health care facilities to be provided with improved WASH services.”

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Public Works and Infrastructure, Ibrahim Hamza, said the programme was all about ensuring sustainability.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary,Ashiru Abdul, Hamza assured of the state government’s commitment for the sustainability of the project.

He said, ” If the programme is successful, everything will be fine because health is wealth.

” We are giving 100 per cent support to ensure the success of the project in the state as we give attention to health,water and sanitation and hygiene.” (NAN)