In an effort towards accelerating Safely Managed Sanitation (SMS), the Kaduna State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) has trained no fewer than 60
stakeholders drawn from the government circle, development partners, civil society, media, and private sector.
The training was in collaboration with UNICEF and Directorate General of International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherland government through the ASWA III Project (Accelerating Sanitation and Water for All-Phase III).
The workshop was aimed at ensuring that the state is on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2, with Kaduna making progress but needing more determination.
Though it is reported that Kaduna has made progress, with 10 out of 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) declaring Open-Defecation-Free (ODF), however some LGAs still experience widespread open defecation.
The State government has pledged to achieve ODF status in 2025, where progress must accelerate tenfold to meet the commitment.
During the meeting, the stakeholders agreed on a joint problem-solving initiative among all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to support Kaduna’s push to make all 23 LGAs ODF.
They expressed a shared commitment to mainstream gender equity, climate resilience, and sustainability in all sanitation programming.
The stakeholders also called for the establishment of a sanitation pool fund, strengthening media engagement, and private sector engagement to support sanitation efforts.
They equally called on the state government to designate and formalize faecal waste disposal sites in each LGA.
They reaffirmed their commitment to align with Kaduna State sanitation policies with the national safely managed sanitation agenda
Speaking further, David Damien, UNICEF’s WASH Officer, Kaduna Field Office, expressed delight in the workshop’s outcome, highlighting the ASWA project’s funding by the Netherlands government.
He explained that the ASWA project is being implemented in Lere and Kagarko LGAs of Kaduna State, which were self-selected through a competitive bidding process.
Damian noted that the workshop adopted key resolutions including policy alignment, interagency collaboration, and mainstreaming cross-cutting issues.
Earlier, the Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government, Sadiq Mamman-Lagos, reaffirmed government’s commitment to achieving SMS in the state.
Mamman-Lagos, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Mahmud Lawal, recognized the critical importance of sanitation in improving the health and well-being of the citizens
The Commissioner pledged to align the state’s sanitation policies with the national safely managed sanitation agenda and to provide the necessary support and resources to achieve the goals.