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WATERAID Nigeria, an international NGO, and Bwari Area Council on Tuesday, inaugurated a Coordination Forum to sustain Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) issues in communities within the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was held in Bwari, in partnership with the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA).

In his remarks, Mr Nanpet Chuktu, Head of Programmes, WaterAid Nigeria, said the forum would be fully set up by the council administration and facilitated by WaterAid.

Chuktu explained that the forum would be composed of the health, environment, education, and other related departments of the council to ensure proper coordination concerning happenings in the various fields and sectors.

“By so doing, you will be able to be privy to information concerning the investments in boreholes, toilets, and other facilities that have already been put in place for efficient WASH activities.

“ This is so that the commitment of both the council and donors of these facilities do not become scattered and wasted and so, it is important for the council to keep its eyes on these investments.

“It will be proper to strengthen the WASH Committee (WASHCOM) in the communities where the facilities are provided to ensure they are working properly and if spoilt or have issues, immediate action and solution would be taken,” he said.

The WaterAid official also urged the council to use the WASH committee and the sub-committees to attract more donors and collaborators in the area to achieve a more hygienic environment.

Mr Eli Kadanya, the Bwari Area Council Secretary, who represented the council chairman at the event, assured stakeholders in the project of its unrelenting support to ensure that the goals of WASH in the area were achieved.

In her remarks, Ms Nanbam Michael, the Project Manager, WaterAid Nigeria, noted that the projects to be implemented in the area included construction and rehabilitation of water facilities.

Others, she enumerated, include gender-inclusive sanitation and hygiene facilities such as toilets in schools, awareness campaign on hygiene behavioural change in Primary Healthcare Centres.

Micheal added that strengthening WASH institutions in the form of cooperative groups in the communities is, among other things, part of the agenda.

She noted that one of the objectives of the forum was to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive WASH strategy at the local level, in line with national and regional WASH goals.

NAN reports that some of the committee’s terms of reference are Leadership and Facilitation by the council’s WASH department and Information Sharing.

Some others are Joint Planning and Strategy Development, Resource Mobilisation, Monitoring and Evaluation, as well as Advocacy and Capacity Building for WASH actors.

Members of the committee are representatives from the Environment, Health, Education, Works, Information, and Finance departments of the council.

Traditional and religious leaders in the area are also part of the committee. (NAN)

2nd July, 2024.

C.E.

Tags: Bwari council Water Aid water sanitation and hygiene (WASH)