Musa Na Allah Sokoto
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Didi Walson Jack has described Water as central to National development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Sustainable Development Goal set out to “ensure availability and sustainable management of Water and Sanitation for all by the year 2023.
Mrs. Jack made the remarks in Sokoto at the opening of the 29th regular meeting of the National Council on Water resources.
She said, Sustainable Development Goal 6, is critical to the achievement of all other Sustainable Development Goals as it has a strong linkage to Health, Sanitation, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Tourism, Transportation, and indeed the Environment.
“It also has a direct and rapid impact on poverty eradication and employment generation. This underscores the high priority this Administration accords to the provision of adequate water supply, improved sanitation, and irrigated agriculture for improvement of the living standards of the citizenry”.
“It is gratifying at this point to note that, due to the aforementioned reasons, the theme for this year’s Council Meeting is “Actualizing Sustainable Development Goals 6: prospects and challenges”. This theme was carefully chosen, bearing in mind that we are just seven (7) years away from the target year set for achieving SDG 6”.
“We should review our strategies, particularly in the area of implementation of projects and programs, identify gaps and proffer solutions on the way forward to overcoming the challenges. You are therefore enjoined to align the discussions and memoranda towards addressing core issues of theme 5.
According to her, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources is currently developing a Strategic Plan for the coordination and tracking of the implementation of SDG-6 in Nigeria. Specifically, the plan is to provide guidance and a sustainable pathway for various stakeholders in the Water Sector to monitor the level of implementation of SDG 6, across the eight (8) hydrological areas of the country.
She reiterated that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has recently conducted the Voluntary National Review on the implementation of SDG6 with a view to showcasing the status of its implementation in the country.
“The two Strategic Documents are therefore the outcomes of the wide and in-depth consultations undertaken by the Ministry, in order to ensure that SDG6 is mainstreamed and integrated into the various policies and plans in Sector 6.”
The permanent secretary further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has implemented a number of laudable initiatives, projects, and programs focusing on ensuring sustainable management of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Nigerians.
She said, her ministry has identified initiatives projects, and programs that include but are not limited to the declaration of a “State of Emergency” and the launch of the WASH National Action Plan aimed at ensuring universal access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services by 2030.
“Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) designed to serve as an effective platform for the coordination and management of public water supply and sanitation facilities in the country, especially on increased access to safe water supply, adequate sanitation, and hygiene in the rural areas”.
Jack stated that the sustainable Rural and Urban Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) program which is a loan facility amounting to U$700 Million from the World Bank to support the implementation of the WASH National Action Plan.
She maintained that the objective of the program is to improve the Urban, Small Town, and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene as well as to strengthen sector institutions in participating states of Nigeria
