Nigerian Government Calls For Water Operation And Maintenance Culture
By Hikmat Bamigboye
The Nigerian Government says the Village level Operation and Maintenance, VLOM, initiative will address the baseline challenges and strengthen communication channels in the Nigerian Water Sector.
It says the initiative will also facilitate 100% functionality of the system in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu made these statements at the Sensitization Workshop on Village Level Operation and Maintenance, in Abuja the Nation’s Capital.
Mr Adamu revealed that the Ministry in collaboration with UNICEF has designed the concept of VLOM in the three States under the ongoing OGIS ASWA II projects In Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
He also disclosed that other states have keyed into the implementation of the plans and about seven hundred and fifty-eight hand pumps and three hundred and forty four solar boreholes have been repaired by local Area Machines (LAMs) In the States.
“The 2021 Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM), only 53% publicly owned water facilities are functional and 22% broke down within the first one year of installation. The report also shows that only 11% of water facilities are dependable with respect to their operation and maintenance.
The lack of maintenance of water facilities results in frequent breakdown and abandonment which is further compounded by lack of adequate monitoring of the water facilities and communication between benefiting communities and those in authority,” he stated.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief WASH, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Jane Bevan said that the SDG 6.1 goals is for everybody to have access to quality water, and sufficient quantity across the country.
Dr Bevan said that through UNICEF interventions, 30 percent of benefiting communities have put in place a tariff system as a funding alternative for local area mechanics repairing broken facilities to the tune of three million Naira.
She said the intervention had seen female representation in WASH activities, with women participating in repairs and spare part supplies.
“How are we affording the operation and maintenance and when you look at the overall Sustainability Index for any given water scheme, you can say that in terms of household water supply, we get 44% for the whole country. The other sectors are also at about the same level and the overall wash Sustainability Index for Nigeria at the moment stands at 46%,” She added.
Also in his keynote, The Director, Water Supply, Mr Danjuma Madaki, said the workshop was an opportunity for States to understand VLOM strategy and its implementation guidelines.
Mr Madaki also said that huge investments in the water resources sector had not yielded returns due to poor institutional management, inadequate funding and lack of political will and ownership
He added that with the implementation of VLOM strategy, operation and maintenance challenges, funding issues would be addressed.
The Director added that all communities must take ownership of all water facilities for sustainability.
