UNICEF Trains Local Government Sanitation Officers on Data Management

Eme Offiong, Calabar

The United Nations Children and Emergency Fund, UNICEF, has trained selected local government area sanitation officers on acceptable global standards in data management.

The participants, who included Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation officers, Coordinators of WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH) departments, UNICEF and United Purpose Desk Officers, were drawn from Benue, Cross River and Enugu States for a three-day workshop in Calabar.

The UNICEF WASH Specialists from the Enugu office, Mr. Timi Kiakubu noted that the essence of the training was to equip the officers with the requisite skills to effectively collate and manage data comparable to any reported across the world.

Speaking further, Kiakubu stated “this training has brought key officers from selected local government areas in these three States to equip them with data management skills. We need them to understand global standards of progress reporting and how to manage data. One key platform we are looking at now is the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Information Management,” he said.

On achieving the 2025 benchmark to completely eradicate Open Defecation in Nigeria, the specialist suggested effective synergy between the government at the national and States level including local government councils.

He described open defecation as one of the leading causes of death in children below 5 years besides the other known six killer diseases that could be immunized against.

According to him, “Nigeria has plans to eradicate open defecation by 2025. Close observation of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping Survey (WASH – NORMS) of the Nigerian Government revealed that some states are making progress, while others are far behind. Open Defecation opens up a channel for WASH – related diseases and infections with attendant loss of financial resources in hospitals and even death. In fact this is one of the leading causes of death of children under 5 years,” Kiakubu said.

The specialist expressed concern that due to the lack of major facilities such as booths at strategic locations, Nigeria may not achieve the 2025 target to eradicate open defecation.

He urged more States in Nigeria to take decisive actions to end open defecation adding, “when development is driven by the people themselves and their governments, then it becomes sustainable and we call it demand-driven development. Until Nigeria moves from supply-driven to demand-driven development, most of the efforts of donors make could end as temporary palliatives.”