UNICEF pledges support to ensure safety of Nigeria’s vulnerable

The UNICEF on Friday, has pledged to ensure success of the process for the development of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), policy that would save the lives of millions of Nigeria’s vulnerable population. Chisom Adimorah, the WASH Specialist for UNICEF, Nigeria, made the pledge at a meeting of the Technical Committee for the Development of a National WASH Policy and implementation strategy, held in Abuja.

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Adimorah said that the UN bloc was willing and ready to support the processes that would drive development of an acceptable policy and implementation strategy, as part of its efforts at ensuring that the country’s vulnerable persons, especially children, had access to WASH, to curb avoidable mortalities.

She also commended the federal ministries of Water Resources, Environment, Health, and other stakeholders, who were collaborating on the WASH project, for their various contributions for the development of the programme.

According to reports, the technical committee was inaugurated on April 3, in Abuja, by the immediate past ministers of Water Resources and Environment, Suleiman Adamu and Mohammed Abdullahi respectively.

Dr Nicholas Madu, the Director, Water Supply, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, and Chairman of the Technical Committee, however said the meeting was a testament to the commitment of all stakeholders to advance the development of the National WASH Policy and its implementation.

Madu added that the meeting was called to examine received comments, suggestions and inputs on the committee’s shared Terms of Reference (ToR). He also noted that improved WASH services were imperative in ensuring human development outcomes such as poverty reduction and inclusive growth, which were fundamental to healthier living conditions for citizens.

Madu hinted that it was in furtherance of this objective that the ministry and other critical stakeholders re-engineered efforts towards the development of the programme, to address perceived imbalance in WASH service delivery across the country.

On her part, Mrs Rita Okea, the Deputy Director, Environmental Health and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Environment, said it was imperative that all critical stakeholders were carried along to ensure success of the WASH project. Okea, however, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to ensuring smooth development of the process.

Wumi/NAN