Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
August 31, 2022.
The WaterAid Country Director, Evelyn Mere has said that small town water supply, sanitation and hygiene (ST-WASH) projects are to be sited in nine insurgency affected communities of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
According to her, the WASH facilities, when completed could save life against water borne diseases including an end to open defecation by 2025 in the targeted states.
The WASH facilities, comprise dozens of overhead tanks, kiosks and the markets and schools management committees (MSMCs) to sustain and own the WASH projects.
The Deputy Chief of Party, ST-WASH programme, Yahaya Karaye, yesterday (Wednesday), disclosed this, in a virtual three-day Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) outboard and work plan meeting held in Maiduguri.
He said that the WASH projects are to be sited in three communities each in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
“In Borno state, Shani, Kwaya/Kusar and Biu are selected, while Song, Geire and Ganye communities in Adamawa state with Yobe state to have Potiskum, Geidam and Damaturu for the WASH programme,” he said.
He added that the water projects are funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by WaterAid and Mercy Corps.
According to him, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu has directed the 36 State Governors to adopt the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework for WASH facilities.
On the challenges of executing the water projects, Karaye, said that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and Boko Haram insurgency hampered the siting and completion of water projects in the insurgency affected states.
He, therefore, called on the Water Consumer Associations (WCAs), markets and schools management committees to sustain and own the WASH facilities in the targeted small towns.
End.
