Why Nigeria should invest in water, sanitation, hygiene – Jurji

In Nigeria, less than 10 per cent of the population get water suitable for drinking, only two third has access to improved water sources, while 90 per cent of the water sources are contaminated. In this interview with AJUMA EDWINA OGIRI, the Chief of WASH, at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Zaid Jurji, speaks on why Nigeria should invest and prioritise Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

Open defecation as a violation of human rights
Open defecation is a human right and it is recognised world over. Everyone needs to come together to make sure that this human right is met.

In human rights, you need to ask for these rights and be given the rights. There is a lot happening in Nigeria and we are asking that it becomes more of a priority area that more resources are allocated; this is from the authority side. From the communities’ side, they will have to practice their right by asking for it and make sure that when it’s available they will ensure that it is working and is sustained, so that they could benefit from the service as long as it exist.

Collaboration between UNICEF and FG on WASH
Our focal ministry is the ministry of water resources. This is the ministry that we work with, but that doesn’t prevent us from having collaborations with other government agencies who are involved. For example, we have discussed so many issues with the central bank about the possibility of getting some funds to help the poor communities to construct their latrines.

When we need to talk to the ministry of finance or ministry of environment, we also talk to them. There are so many regularity bodies involved and entities that contribute to the sector. At the end we need to harmonise those efforts so that we are able to achieve the objectives.

Community contribution for household toilets
This is working very fine in the areas that UNICEF is involved, because we work to establish those synergies and they are working fine. UNICEF contributes in certain areas, and here we are talking about the entirety of Nigeria.

UNICEF cannot be everywhere in Nigeria, but our role is very much supportive to the bigger role of the authority. We try to create good examples, nurture them so that they could be replicated elsewhere.

Rise in open defecation
We are doing the right thing, but not with the required skills. Without making sure that this becomes our priority, without this being recognised, without making available the required resources, without making every possible channel to reach the communities and is directed into that direction, we will not be able to achieve the goal.

It’s a big problem, and it has to be recognised and dealt with this way. When the government of Nigeria decided to eradicate polio, it was very successful.

This is a resourceful country which is capable of doing anything that it wants, but polio became a national priority, we should be doing the same for sanitation.

Impact of WASH on Nigeria
WASH impacts greatly in any place in the world. An investment of $1 will bring back returns of more than $25. It’s really cost effective and this is an area that we should be focusing on.

WASH has an impact on health, it has an impact on the productivity of the mother; for the mother to be responsible for the house, taking care of the kids, the hours she spends per day to go and fetch water and sometimes the children instead of spending their precious time to learn and to go to school, they use it to fetch water for the family. This is a lost time, and time is money.

When we multiply the time lost for this big number of population, it is enormous, that is why it has a big impact on the population.
$8 billion is the estimated money by world Bank, that is needed to be invested annually on WASH from now to 2030, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. SDG6 talks about water and sanitation.

Investing in mobile toilets
Mobile toilets can be used when there is no other option. Mobile toilets as a system will require another system to make them sustainable.

Whether it’s mobile toilets or a pit toilet, at the end it needs to be emptied and the sewage will need to be dumped in an area where it will disintegrate and will have no negative influence on the environment.

At one point in time mobile toilet will get filled up and need to be emptied in a proper and hygienic way, and will need to be cleaned so that they become suitable again for use.

Risks of open defecation
Open defecation contaminates water sources, and people will become sick with diarrhoea and stay in bed all day, instead of practising their normal routines such as going to school, work, taking care of the children among others. They will have to go to the health centres for treatment and also buy medicine, and this will influence their economy. 88 percent of diarrheal disease worldwide results from bad wash; bad water, bad sanitation and bad hygiene.

Access to portable water
Only two third of the Nigeria population have access to improved water sources, but that doesn’t mean the water they use at the household level is suitable for drinking.

The journey that the water has to travel, the fact that the water source could be contaminated because of external factors like defecating around the water source.

Leave a Reply