In Nigeria, 57 million people lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, according to the United Nations (UN). An observation that has encouraged the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to invest in the water and sanitation sector. It has therefore launched a project called the Effective Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme (E-Wash). The launching ceremony took place on October 24, 2018. E-Wash will reach four states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: Abia, Delta, Imo, Niger, Sokoto and Taraba. Over the next four years, the programme will help to strengthen the governance, financial and technical sustainability of the entities responsible for water and sanitation management in each state concerned. Ultimately, E-Wash will improve the hygiene and health of the population.
USAID has already implemented similar projects in several countries in Africa like in Tanzania and Kenya. According to the organisation, in the various countries, more than 3.1 million people have benefited from sustainable access to safe drinking water, and more than 3 million have benefited from improved access to sanitation facilities. These results concern in particular more than 500,000 women and girls, often poorly taken into account in their specific needs. In a country like Kenya where water is a scarce resource, the USAID programme is supported by counties, communities and businesses but it also concerns agriculture and livestock.
In Nigeria, the E-Wash project will benefit 500,000 households. “By strengthening the capacity of these water boards to make concrete investment decisions, improving the efficiency of billing and collection and addressing their customers’ concerns, more people and businesses will ultimately have access to water and sanitation services,” said Benson Ajisegiri, Director of Water Supply at the Ministry of Water Resources. USAID will invest more than 60 million dollars in the project.
Jean Marie Takouleu