Ministry of Water Resources, Environment Sign MoU on SDG
By Hikmat Bamigboye
The Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Environment, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, 6, which is ‘Clean Water and Sanitation for All’ by 2030.
The Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, acknowledges that the SDG 6 is to be achieved by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, but, it cannot achieved it alone rather demands cooperation and collaboration with other sister Ministries.
During a meeting with the Minister of Environment, Muhammed Abdulahi, on how to achieve the SDG with less than eight years to go, Mr. Adamu said that collaboration was important.
SDG 6 is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, which is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, Adamu said.
He said that ” Team work, collaboration and synergy of efforts will help us to achieve our greater goal.”
On his part, the Minister of Environment, Muhammed Abdulahi, said that his Ministry was ready to work with the Ministry of Water Resources to achieve a common
goal for the benefit of the Nation.
“I am here to forge a synergy and ensure going forward that we have a very robust National Policy on sanitation that takes care of virtually every angle of sanitation which I feel will be more robust and more encompassing if it is done jointly by the two Ministries. We will have a task force of experts by the two Ministries to look at the various documents as it addresses Sanitation and Water Resources Ministry and the Ministry of Environment so as to see how they can be harmonized towards one document as a National Policy that will be all encompassing for sanitation. Also we can invite other stakeholders in the sanitation sector to join hands with us in this National assignment.” Abdulahi said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Esther Didi Walson-Jack in her opening remark expressed her deep commitment to share information as necessary and work together to ensure the target is met which is to bring sanitation up to scale in the country towards promoting positive impact.