The Lagos State government has posed a challenge to addressing sanitation management in the State, acknowledging that it generates about 2.20 million cubic meters of untreated domestic wastewater on a daily basis.
The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure at a 3-day Workshop organised by the Lagos State Waste Water Regulatory Commission in collaboration with Faecal Sludge Management Alliance, the Netherlands.
Speaking on the theme of the event; “Regulating Urban Sanitation Services: Guidelines and Standards”, the Wife of the Governor emphasised the need for a properly structured and sustainable arrangement to regulate and manage the faecal Sludge value chain starting from collection, transportation, treatment and disposal which according to her would yield both economic and environmental benefit to the State.
She maintained that the negative impact of inadequate and improper regulation of faecal sludge management on the health of people in general and children, in particular, is enormous, as the workshop would help to stimulate discussions aimed at facilitating a better understanding of the policy, legal and institutional framework for sanitation and wastewater management in Lagos State.
“As a Medical Doctor, I am conscious of the fact that all waterborne diseases are deadly. Experts have also established that there is an unbreakable relationship between health and the environment. They are both intertwined!”
“Diarrhea, for instance, is the second largest killer of children below 5 years in Nigeria, only next to Pneumonia. According to the World Health Organization (W.H.0), 88% of diarrhea cases are attributable to factors essentially originating from poor management of excreta disposal.
“With a population of over 20 million and annual growth of 2.9%, sanitation management is currently a challenge in Lagos.
State where about 2.20 million cubic meters of untreated domestic wastewater is generated daily based on 120 litre of water used per person per day.
“The reality on the ground as to the dire situation calls for all hands to be on deck to ensure effective and efficient regulation of faecal sludge management, thereby safeguarding the environment and protecting water resources of the State, and mitigating events of waterborne diseases.” she said
She added that without effective regulation, the dreams of having a livable, healthy, safe, and secure environment will continue to be a mirage, stressing for concerted efforts by stakeholders to advance the realization of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6) of universal access to clean water and sanitation; and also Pillar 2 of the THEMES Agenda which focuses on health and environment.
Policy guidelines
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, Mrs Funke Adepoju emphasised the need for stakeholders to key into the policy guidelines that would galvanize and up-skill critical sector players in the State in sustainably managing faecal sludge.
Adepoju mentioned that the workshop is a necessary beginning needed for long term sanitation transition to improve effectiveness of sanitation transition and ensure a regulatory systems for public health.
She noted that the process of convening stakeholders to develop dialogue, enhance coordination and strengthen information flow is fundamental and international best practice suggest no-one is better positioned to perform this function than a regulator.
Sanitation Law
In improving Legal and regulatory performance through African Sanitation Policy, the Vice Chancellor River State University, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule mentioned the need for strong sanitation law in Nigeria and to ensure we integrate the culture diversity while doing a review of the law.
Okogbule said that Improving legal and regulatory performance means enacting and reviewing laws that are tailored to the exigencies of the particular jurisdiction and the law must also capture the sanitation service chains.
He also stressed for the creation and promotion of awareness of the law and the use of traditional and social media to spread the awareness of an existing law.
Other speakers talked extensively about providing access to information through constant stakeholders engagement, access to adequate sanitation services and adequate funding.
They also expressed the need for the authorities to pursue the achievement of SDG Goal 6, which has to do with Clean water and Sanitation which seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and Sanitation for all as well as prevent open defecation.
Above all, they advocated for efforts towards addressing the situation in order to prevent the 2.8 billion people globally expected to be denied of safely-managed sanitation by 2030.
Olusola Akintonde
