By Adeyinka Adeniran
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has emphasized the need for a Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) strategy to achieve universal access to safe sanitation in Nigeria.
This is as the UN body called on government all att levels to develop and fund full-chain urban sanitation service models covering containment, emptying, transport, treatment, and reuse.
UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) specialist, Mr. Monday Johnson explained that CWIS is a flexible and adaptable approach that ensures everyone, regardless of income or location, has access to safe and affordable sanitation.
Noting that the approach is already being implemented in some developing countries, Johnson maintained that the CWIS guarantees sanitation access for all urban residents while promoting health, environmental protection, economic growth, and gender equity, calling for its adoption and funding by government at all tiers.
He made the call during a presentation entitled: “Urban Sanitation Crisis: Current situation in Nigeria – trends and challenges”, at the opening ceremony of a two-day media dialogue on “Accelerating Actions to Improve Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria”, held at Ilaji Resort, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The dialogue, organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Information in collaboration with with UNICEF attracted participants from Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos amongst others.
The WASH Specialist said adopting the policy in Nigeria will not only safeguard public health but will also unlock the financial advantages of waste management in urban areas
He emphasised that the strategy is flexible and adaptable to different settlement types, from high-income areas to informal settlements.
He said, “CWIS strengthens governance and accountability by clearly defining the roles of each agency and establishing regulatory frameworks to monitor private sector participation.
“You cannot apply the same sanitation solution for high-income and low-income settlements. CWIS defines what kinds of facilities are appropriate for each area, ensuring that everyone, rich or poor, has safe and affordable access to sanitation.
“CWIS ensures access for all, protects public health, safeguards the environment, enhances urban resilience, and strengthens governance and accountability. It also promotes gender equity and dignity and supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”
Harping on the benefits of the initiative, Johnson maintaied that sanitation was not just a health issue but also an economic opportunity if properly managed through the sanitation value chain, noting that the country’s slow progress in sanitation was due to “weak institutional capacity, inadequate human resource development and poor urban sanitation data.
“We are really not moving very fast because there are big institutional and human resource capacity gaps. More people need to be trained on urban sanitation management, and the institutions need to be strengthened. We do not have reliable urban sanitation data in Nigeria.
“Without good data, planning becomes difficult. The government must use this evidence to reform policies and reconstruct strategies.”
To achieve the feat, the WASH Specialist called on government across the country to: “Develop and fund full-chain urban sanitation service models covering containment, emptying, transport, treatment, and reuse.
“Create a dedicated Urban Sanitation Coordination Unit under the Ministry of Environment or Urban Planning – this will help institutionalize budgeting and releases through the MDAs for urban sanitation.
“Mainstream urban sanitation into state-level development planning and performance contracts with LGAs. Implement a statewide training program to grow the capacity of sanitation officers, masons, desludging operators, and FSM entrepreneurs and private sector players.
“Establish, review or institutionalize regulatory framework for private sector participation – encouraging inflow of investments from the private sector.
“Update and approve the draft state WASH policy to include urban sanitation – empower and encourage other MDAs to include urban sanitation in their policy, strategy documents and guidelines.”
Fielding question from reporters, UNICEF’s Communication Officer, Mrs. Blessing Ejiofor maintained that access to water, sanitation, and hygiene is a fundamental human right.
She called for more government and citizen commitment to guarantee that no one is left behind.
Director of Community Mobilisation and Hygiene Education at the Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (OYORUWASSA), Adegoke Ayodele, also explained that the state has progress through persistent efforts on WASH programmes, describing it as success stories.
In her remark, The Oyo State Ministry of Information’s Program Officer, Mrs. Adeola Adewole, encouraged media professionals and journalists to use their platforms to promote better sanitation laws and practices throughout Nigeria.
She said the media has a significant influence on changing people’s behaviour hence the need to “continue to speak about WASH issues until they become a priority in every community.”
