Water Aid Nigeria has tasked elected officials to honour their election campaign commitments towards prioritizing the improvement of water, sanitation and hygiene access during their tenure in office.
Addressing journalists in Bauchi, the Country Director of the Organization, Dr Chichi Anlagolu Okoyo, said the move would no doubt increase citizens’ access to basic WASH services and contribute to responding to the state of emergency in the sector declared by the federal government in 2018.
He said the Keep Your Promises campaign introduced by the organization is a consolidation on the Vote4WASH campaign where water aid and partners positioned water, sanitation and hygiene as key campaign issues.
Okoye, represented by acting Director Programme, Mr. Esseian Ukame, noted that to strengthen WASH delivery services project, Water Aid Nigeria would support governments to ensure that water, sanitation and hygiene is prioritized policies, plans and budget for improving WASH services in communities.
Okoye assured that the organization with the support of relevant stakeholders will empower citizens to demand their rights and hold government accountable for the provision of sustainable WASH services.
He described Water, Sanitation and Hygiene as crucial to the development of all sectors of economy and has enormous negative impact if neglected.
He disclosed that Water Aid Nigeria has begun a four-year electoral advocacy campaign aimed at amplifying the voices of citizens to demand for transparent and accountable governance in WASH sector through close engagement with elected officials to translate their commitments to sustainable actions.
Dr. Chichi Okoyo, therefore, appealed to government at all levels to ensure increased in water, sanitation and hygiene sector and focus on providing both public and institutional WASH facilities to cater to the needs of Nigerians.
